A Simple Request
by Azshalade
Summary: After the trial, Eren is left to his thoughts. That is, until, Corporal Levi comes to him with a most unusual "request". Later things take a turn for the bizarre when an intricate plot to sabotage the Scouting Legion is unveiled. Eren struggles with his feelings, Levi tries to bury his.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! This is my first fanfiction in many, many years! Please be kind, and I hope you enjoy and review!**

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Eren Jaeger stared at the ceiling of his tiny cell below the courthouse. Although he had been accepted as a new recruit of the Recon Corps, they simply did not have another empty bed for the boy. This was probably due to the fact that many of the higher ups in charge of the military budget didn't take the Recon Corps seriously. Sure, they had done great things in past; going beyond the walls to defend the last bastion of humanity, for example. However, the men in charge could see the Recon Corps for what it really was; a ragtag group of weirdos.

He had actually become accustomed to the tiny cell. The fact that he was no longer bound in chains and the cell door was left open, unguarded, made it kind of cozy in a way. It was his space, no one else's. He hadn't had a bed to himself since his childhood. Since then he'd either ended up sharing a bed with Armin or a bunk in a room full of men in the barracks.

Eren sighed. How did he end up here again? Oh yeah, he'd finished blocking the hole in the wall when he'd finally exhausted his titan form and fallen unconscious. After that all he could remember was waking up chained to the bed in his tiny cell.

He supposed he should be happy with the way things had turned out. The trial had been in his favor and he'd been granted the wish he'd held dear since childhood; to join the Recon Corps. He should be glad he wasn't dead after that madman had pulled a gun on him in the middle of the trial. He'd really expected to have his brains paint the floor of the courtroom while the crowd looked on in horror. He'd never expected Corporal Levi to risk his neck trying to save him.

He almost laughed as he remembered the flying kick to the face that poor fool with the gun had received. That is, until he remembered what had transpired right after that. Levi had mercilessly, sadistically, and maybe even a little bit gleefully, kicked the shit out of him. He'd even lost a tooth in the process. Eren absentmindedly ran his tongue over where the gap in his mouth should have been, instead feeling a fully grown adult tooth in its place.

He'd never get used to regenerating that quickly. He supposed he should be grateful but all he could think about was how everyone viewed him as some kind of monster. And really, were they wrong? He could transform into mankind's most feared and hated enemy at will. Who in their right mind wouldn't at least question his sanity? Maybe he really was a monster. He recalled the look in Mikasa's eyes as she reluctantly confirmed that he had indeed attacked her after transforming. He wasn't angry with her for confessing in the slightest. He was more angry at himself for not realizing that he had lost control and almost killed one of his dearest friends and only remaining family.

Not to mention the face that he'd almost lost himself in anger during the trial, straining against the steel bar and chains that bound him to the center of the room with inhuman strength. He didn't blame the man for wanting to end his life right then and there.

That wasn't to say he wasn't grateful to Levi for saving his skin (although he'd damaged it significantly in the process). He still had a promise to keep to destroy all the titans and free humanity from their confinement behind the walls. He knew not everyone wanted to venture beyond the walls, content with being livestock that feared the unknown. He didn't care, let them rot, he thought. He would escape his confines with his dearest friends and comrades, and that's all that mattered.

Armin had been the one to plant the idea of someday seeing the outside world in his head. With all his talk of plains of sand and great stretches of water he'd convinced Eren that he just couldn't spend his life behind these accursed walls. In the past they had often gazed up at the stars together, contemplating and imagining what in the world an "ocean" would look like, or what kind of bizarre wildlife lurked beneath its depths. They'd speculate about how in the world humans could get a fortress to float on top of the water without sinking, or how and why anyone would want to live in a plain of sand.

Eren smiled to himself. He really did miss those talks with Armin. He hoped that one day they would turn into adventures instead of stories. He'd take Mikasa along too, of course. She wouldn't stand for them to leave her behind. It would be the three of them, just like old times.

Eren frowned. He just hoped that after all this drama his dreams could still come true.

The sound of distant footsteps and hushed voices brought him out of his daydreaming. He strained to hear what they were saying, but to no avail. Against his better judgement he decided to get up and walk over to the door, trying his best not to alert the others to his presence. He pressed his ear against the giant wooden door to better hear the conversation. He immediately recognized the excited female voice as Hanji Zoe, the research scientist of the Recon Corps.

"Ne, Corporal, don't you think it'd be a good idea if I collected some specimens from him while he's still here? Who knows when I might get another chance once you two start your mission" she said with a huff. A blunt male voice that could only belong to Levi answered, "For the hundredth time, no. I need him in tip top shape if I'm going to drag him along with me outside the walls. The last thing I need is him acting like a zombie due to your depraved studies."

Hanji sighed heavily. Apparently she'd been begging him all day but to no avail. Eren was thankful that her whining hadn't convinced Levi to give in. He really didn't want to end up as her personal guinea pig. With much reluctance and annoyance she finally gave up, grumbling to herself as she retreated back down the hallway. She had wanted to point out that if Levi had really cared about Eren's condition, he wouldn't have nearly beaten him to death. She had decided against it, however, because she didn't want to be on the receiving end of Levi's boot for insubordination.

Eren heard Levi sigh to himself. "Damn woman, doesn't know when to quit."

He jumped back as he heard the jingling of keys. Was the Corporal going to pay him a visit? He shuddered involuntarily, remembering the man's brutality. He just hoped he didn't have a reason to take his frustrations out on the boy.

As Levi identified the correct key to the room, Eren quickly ran back to his bed and dove under the covers. He really didn't want to be caught eavesdropping. He did his best to slow his breathing and pulled the covers up to his neck, closing his eyes and trying his best to pretend to be asleep.

He heard the unmistakable click-clack of Levi's boots coming closer to his tiny cell. He clutched the blanket tightly to himself and hoped that Levi would fall for his sleeping act.

His hopes were immediately dashed, however.

"Jaeger, I know you aren't sleeping. It isn't polite to eavesdrop, you know," Levi said with a threatening tone that made Eren cringe. _Oh shit, I'm in for it now..._he thought to himself. He slowly peeked out above the covers and decided that sitting up was probably the best course of action at the moment. He reluctantly looked up at Levi, who was standing at the foot of his bed with a lit candle illuminating his features. The light reflected in his cold, grey eyes, and Eren found himself staring into their depths. He wondered what the older man was thinking. Perhaps he was contemplating ways to torture him for his transgressions? Eren really, really hoped not.

After a few awkward moments the raven haired man spoke, "Jaeger, didn't anyone ever teach you that it isn't polite to stare?"

Eren jumped at the sudden break in the silence. He averted his eyes and instead stared down at his lap. He quickly blurted out, "I'm sorry, sir! I didn't mean anything by it, I just...I wasn't expecting you to pay me a visit." He hoped that was all it was, a friendly visit.

Levi remained silent for a moment before speaking up, "What makes you think I'm here to visit you? Why would I waste my time coming down here to chit chat with a brat like you? I'm here on business. Nothing more, nothing less." Eren knew without even looking that the man was glaring at him. He could almost feel those grey eyes burning a hole into him. Eren was a little hurt by the statement, although he had no idea why. Of course one of humanity's strongest men wouldn't come down here to talk about their feelings and become the best of friends. Who would want to befriend a monster?

Levi sighed. He placed the lit candle on the small table in the corner and placed his hands behind his back.

"I came here with a request. No, an order." The older man pulled out the rickety wooden chair that had been resting under the table and sat down, facing Eren, who had finally gathered up the courage to look at Levi once again.

"A-an order, sir?" he squeaked out. He mentally kicked himself for sounding so weak. He supposed it was better this way, however. If Levi thought that the boy was anything but obedient he might get another boot to the face. He dared to look Levi in the eyes and inquired further, "what order?"

Levi looked at him with his usual cold, distant expression. He folded his hands on his lap and spoke with an authoritative tone.

"Take off your shirt."

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Thanks for reading! Please review and encourage me to write more :P


	2. Chapter 2

Hello everyone! Oh my gosh I never expected to get so many follows/favorites on the first day! I'm so happy!

I'm ashamed to admit I haven't read the manga yet, but I will. So please forgive me if anyone is OOC or if the plot differs a lot from what actually happens after the trial. I hope you'll still read and enjoy! Oh, and I promise the lemon is coming up soon : 3

Oh and I don't own Shingeki no Kyojin or any of the wonderful characters.

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"Take your shirt off."

Eren had turned the color of a ripe tomato after he'd heard those words. The order had been short, sweet, and to the point. That didn't make it any easier to understand just what the hell Levi wanted with him. Take off his shirt? Why? So he could beat him without the protection of clothing getting in the way?

"W-what?" Eren couldn't think of anything else to say as he tried to comprehend what the man had just asked of him. Afterwards he realized just how stupid he sounded and mentally kicked himself. He could tell the question annoyed the older man by the way he was scowling.

"What are you, dumb? I said take off your shirt, brat. What part of that was so difficult to understand?" Levi stood up again and walked over to the bed, staring down the boy so that Eren wanted to shrink down and disappear to escape Levi's look of pure irritation. He clenched his fists and tried not to look at the man in front of him. He was really tired of people demanding complete obedience just because Eren was a new recruit. Wasn't Irvin the leader of the Recon Corps? Why should he have to follow the orders of a sadistic asshole like Levi?

Eren was trying to fight back his anger at being called "stupid" and "brat". He really wanted to just get up and deck the smug asshole in the face, but he wasn't entirely sure that would be a wise course of action, considering the beating he'd received earlier. Granted he'd been restrained at the time, but at the moment he really wasn't feeling up to a knock down drag out brawl with his superior officer. So instead of fighting back with fists he would try his own hand at being snarky. He gathered up all of his courage and spoke his mind before he could regret it. "I'm sorry, _sir_," he used the word sarcastically, "I just don't understand why the hell I have to strip for you."

He immediately regretted those words. It happened so fast, he hadn't even seen it coming until it was too late. Levi delivered a sucker punch to the boys face, sending him flying off the side of the bed and onto the cold stone floor. He roughly landed on his side, hitting his head on the floor in the process. Pain coursed through every square inch of Eren's head as he groaned in agony. He could feel his cheek begin to swell from the impact. He winced when he touched the side of his face that had received the punch. On the opposite side of his face he could feel blood trickling down from a gash above his eyebrow that he must have gotten from the landing.

Levi just cracked his knuckles before walking over to the boy until his boots were visible in Eren's line of sight. "Are you finished questioning my orders yet, whelp? You're lucky I'm in a good mood or you might have lost more than one tooth." Eren did not reply. He was too busy shaking with anger. As he moved to pick himself up off the floor he felt the sole of Levi's boot come down on his already bruised and battered face. He was pinned down, unable to move as he felt the heel dig deeper into his cheek.

"Well? Are you ready to be a good little boy and follow orders? Or do you need me to teach you the meaning of respecting your superiors?" Levi made sure not to allow the boy any free movement of his head until he complied.

Eren's mind was a swirling torrent of different emotions: rage, humiliation, fear and anxiety. He would normally have no problem killing someone who was threatening him, however he was doing his best to prove he wasn't some out of control monster fueled entirely by his emotions. He considered the repercussions of attacking his superior officer. If he were to fight back now, everything that his friends and allies had fought for back in the courtroom would be for nothing. The ones who deemed him a dangerous monster would be proven right and he'd be turned over to the military police. He'd be hauled away and put down like a rabid animal and dissected like a lab rat. He'd become just another martyr for mankind and leave no lasting imprint on the world. Not to mention he feared what would happen to Armin and Mikasa if he acted out of line.

This thing was bigger than him now, much bigger. He was humanity's trump card against the titans and he just couldn't die, not here, not now, not like this. So he must swallow his pride and follow Levi's orders. As much as he hated it, as much as it turned his stomach to act so weak and obedient, as much as it went against everything he stood for, Eren Jaeger gave in. In a quiet, defeated voice he finally said, "I'll do it."

Levi pretended not to hear him at first. He really hated to admit it but he almost felt sorry for the boy. Eren's spirit now seemed to be completely broken. Perhaps he'd been a bit too harsh? He watched as the boy weakly struggled to free himself. Finally he decided Eren had had enough and he removed his boot from the tender flesh. He was still on guard, expecting the boy to lunge at him the moment he was freed like a wild dog. However, the brunette just lay there motionless, breathing heavily.

When he saw that the boy posed no further threat Levi stepped back and crossed his arms. "Well? Going to pick yourself up off the floor, Jaeger? Or do you like it down there?"

Eren ignored the taunting remark and slowly moved to get up. He pulled his knees underneath him and supported his upper body with his arms planted on the ground. He knew that if he got up too fast he would most likely pass out. After a few moments of waiting for his head to stop spinning the boy pushed himself up onto his feet. He was wobbly and unsteady, but at least he was standing now. He used his shirt sleeve to wipe away some of the blood that was beginning to trickle into his right eye from the gash in his eyebrow. How in the hell could someone so small pack a punch that hard?

Levi cringed a little at the sight of the boy using his sleeve to wipe his face like some kind of child with a snotty nose. The brat was already filthy but now he was dirtying the only clothes that his caretakers had been able to find in his size. It would be a shame if the new clothes were ruined a few hours into their use. He reluctantly pulled out a clean handkerchief from his coat pocket and tossed it at Eren, hitting him square in the face. "Here, clean yourself up. We don't exactly have an abundance of clean clothes around here."

Eren was completely dumbfounded. Didn't Levi just punch the shit out of him? Why on God's green earth was he being kind _now_? Instead of questioning it, Eren grabbed the small white cloth and began to dab the large gash above his eyebrow, applying just enough pressure to stop the bleeding. Levi was tapping his foot, waiting for the boy to finish cleaning himself. After wiping the blood, sweat and dirt from his face Eren shyly held out the dirty cloth. "Um...t-thanks. You can have this back now."

Levi stared at the cloth like it was the most vile, disgusting thing he'd ever seen. "Ugh, I don't want that back, you idiot. Its got your filth all over it. Just keep it for a souvenir or something. Now take your fucking shirt off before I shove my boot up your ass."

Eren sighed. He supposed that this was the nicest the Corporal was going to get. _Well, _he thought, _let's just get this over with._ Eren started unbuttoning his white shirt, starting from the top. A couple of buttons into it he realized just how much his hands were shaking. Whether it was due to the pain he was in, his nervousness, or the cold temperature in the tiny cell he wasn't sure. When he'd gotten halfway down the shirt Levi sighed loudly in frustration. "What the hell are you doing, Jaeger?"

Eren gave the other man a puzzled look. "Taking my shirt off like you asked?"

Levi rolled his eyes. "Yes, I can see that, but why the hell are you going about it like some nervous virgin schoolgirl? Haven't you undressed with other men in the military before? Unless things have changed, I don't remember every recruit getting their own private dressing room."

Eren flushed in embarrassment, turning his gaze to the floor and flushing bright red. "Well, y-yes but none of the other guys were watching me like this."

Levi sighed again. "Get over it. And hurry it up." Eren reluctantly complied and returned to the task at hand, finally reaching his bottom button. He hesitated a bit before finally undoing it and allowing the shirt to open, revealing his toned muscular chest. Sure, he wasn't as buff as guys like Reiner, but he was fit and that meant he could reach greater speeds using his 3D maneuver gear. He shrugged his shoulders, making the shirt slide off of his body and onto the floor. He bit his bottom lip and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to mentally prepare himself for whatever Levi had planned. A punch to the gut? A kick to the chest?

However, nothing happened. There was absolute silence. Now he was really confused. He opened one eye, fixing it on the older man before him. "S-sir? Um, what are you-"

He was cut off abruptly when Levi placed a (rather cold) hand on his abdomen. Eren jumped from the sudden touch. Levi didn't seem to notice. He was just...staring. It made Eren more than a little uncomfortable. Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. _What the hell am I so nervous for? He's a guy. It's not like he's feeling me up or anything, right?_

He was jolted out of his thoughts as he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. Levi had used his nails to scratch several shallow lines down his stomach, leaving beads of blood behind. "Ow! What the hell?! What did you do that for?" Eren tried to wipe the blood but Levi smacked his hands away. "Stop being difficult. I'm performing an experiment."

Eren didn't understand. "What?" Weren't experiments those things scientists did in their labs with beakers and strange chemicals? How was he a part of an experiment? He looked down at his stomach just in time to see that a tiny bit of steam had risen from the wounds, closing the angry scratches. They disappeared within seconds. Levi ran his thumb over where the scratches had just been, making Eren involuntarily shiver. As much as he hated to admit it, the man's touch actually felt...kinda good.

_What the hell is wrong with me? He's a guy! A twisted, sick one at that!  
_

Eren was happy that Levi hadn't noticed the contented sigh he made as the man ran his fingers over the newly healed flesh. He mentally kicked himself for acting like he didn't mind the touch.

He really was tired of all this. He wanted to know just what the hell the man was playing at. He decided to get Levi's attention before the man could inflict even more wounds to test his "experiment". He also wanted to make him stop touching his stomach before his body betrayed him and started to enjoy it.

"Sir? Um...what are you going to-" He was cut off by Levi midsentence.

"So it's true, you really do regenerate quickly. I kicked you right here in the gut, full force. There should be major bruising. Also that gash above your eyebrow has completely vanished. And the scratches I gave you healed within seconds." Eren reached up to touch the spot above his eyebrow and found that it was indeed fully healed. A benefit of being a monster he supposed.

Levi He eyed the flesh again carefully. It was...flawless. He couldn't help but admire such perfection. Not a single scratch or blemish adorned its surface. _I'll be damned, _he thought, _Hanji's insane theory was actually correct. He has the regenerating powers of a titan._ He pressed his fingers into the skin, expecting Eren to wince from the touch to (what was supposed to be) his tender spot. When there was no response he knew he had his answer. Satisfied with the conclusion, Levi removed his hand and stepped backwards away from the boy.

Eren was flabbergasted. _That_ was what all this was about? Really? If the Corporal wanted to know about his titan powers, he could have just asked. He would have gladly shown the man his healed wounds. _What the flying fuck? Is he screwing with me? Why would he make a huge deal out of this?_ He thought for a moment. _Because he's a sadistic asshole, that's why._ "Um, with all due respect sir, is that the only reason you came down here?" He tried not to make it sound like he was annoyed, but he knew a little bit of it showed in his tone.

Levi only looked at him with that apathetic stare that he had perfected over the years. "Of course. Why else would I come to visit a brat like you? Did you expect us to have a tea party or something?"

Eren just sighed in response. _Whatever. At least he's done now and I can go to sleep._

Levi bent down to pick up Eren's discarded shirt. He tossed it at the boy, Eren catching it just in time before it hit the floor. "My business here is done. Get yourself dressed and get some rest. We'll be testing your combat knowledge tomorrow and I don't want you slacking off. If you want to have any hope of surviving beyond the walls then you must prove to me you aren't a complete imbecile." He turned to face away from Eren, heading towards the cell door, boots click-clacking on the stone floor. "I'll be taking my leave now. It's been fun." He waved his hand in a half-hearted goodbye as he walked through the cell door.

Eren was completely speechless. He twisted the shirt in his hands, wishing it was the older man's neck instead. He'd been insulted, beaten and humiliated and now the man was just going to leave? Eren considered turning into a titan and squishing the man, screw the consequences. He could stomp him into the ground, shattering every bone in his body in the blink of an eye. He took a deep breath. It didn't help to think things like that, even if the man did deserve it. He finally exhaled and decided to put his shirt back on. As he slipped his right arm into the sleeve, he saw Levi stop before he rounded the corner to exit the dungeon.

The man glanced back at him out of the corner of his eye. "Oh, one more thing."

Eren finished putting on his shirt. He really wasn't in the mood for talking anymore. He was angry with Levi, but even more angry with himself for slightly enjoying a man's touch. Despite his irritation he decided to ask what the hell the other man was talking about.

"Sir?"

Levi gave what he could have sworn was a smile.

"You look good on your knees, Jaeger."

With that the man rounded the corner and exited the dungeon through a big wooden door.

If anyone had been there to see Eren they would have sworn that the boy turned every shade of red known to man in the span of a few seconds.

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Thanks for reading, guys! I promise the smut is coming up soon! I just like a bit of story before getting to the porn :3

Please review and I hope you liked it!


	3. Chapter 3

Hello everyone! I know I just posted chapter 2 but the urge to write only hits when it wants to and I took advantage of it. Thank you again for reading/following/favoriting/reviewing. I've decided that I'm just going to follow my own little storyline here instead of sticking to the events of the series (mainly because I don't really know whats going to happen next). I hope you guys don't mind :) Oh and um I'm going to be using some strong language, just a head's up.

I don't own SnK or any of the characters.

On with the show!

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Eren Jaeger just didn't know what to think anymore. As he lay on his tiny bed in his tiny cell he tried to understand what the hell had just transpired a few hours ago. Had that really just happened? Did the Corporal really just say what Eren thought he said? Surely not. Maybe he'd just misheard the older man.

_You look good on your knees, Jaeger._

The words came flooding back into his memory. He felt the familiar heat of a blush make its way across his cheeks. Just who the hell did Levi think he was, saying shit like that? He knew the man was sadistic, but was he also a shameless pervert? Maybe that explained why he liked to beat Eren at the drop of a hat; because it got him off.

But why the hell was all of Levi's attention focused on him, of all people? Surely the man had no problem picking up women with his looks.

Eren tried not to imagine the bastard's smug face, but the image popped up in his mind anyway. That raven hair, that perfect alabaster skin, those beautiful grey eyes...

_What the fuck? Men are not beautiful. Especially not short little assholes named Levi._

Eren tossed and turned in his bed. He really wanted to sleep but his mind just wouldn't allow it. He thought back to the shirt incident. The memories were still fresh in his mind and they began to play back like a recording. Every detail seemed to be etched into his brain. He recalled the way Levi's hand had felt when he touched his abdomen. It had been cold at first, but warmed up to Eren's body temperature after a few seconds. He couldn't help but think about how soft the older man's fingers had been. He had expected the Corporal's hands to be tough and calloused, hardened by battle like the man they belonged to. Instead they had been soft, almost like they'd never been used for hard work.

The more Eren tried not to think about the raven haired man the harder it became to stop. He remembered the way the older man's thumb had caressed his stomach (almost gently, if that was possible for Levi) and the way his fingers seemed to dance across the tan skin of his abdomen. He remembered how he'd begun to enjoy that soothing touch until the man had ruined it by scratching Eren like some kind of animal. Although it hadn't really hurt that much he still didn't appreciate it.

He'd read about people that actually enjoyed pain in one of Armin's books when he was younger. He had been bored and looking for something to take his mind off of the monotony of everyday life. Armin had cheerfully suggested reading, and even though Eren didn't care much for books (except for when Armin read them to him) he had decided that it would be better than drawing stick figure titans in the dirt with a stick like he'd been doing all day. Armin had a huge stack of books, some he bought himself with the money he earned running various errands for the townsfolk, and some that he found in the rubble of destroyed homes. He had decided to rummage through Armin's stash of books that he kept on a small shelf in his room.

The book Eren had settled on was a thin, black tome with no title or indication as to its contents. It had been buried underneath a giant dictionary on Armin's bookshelf. Eren blew the layers of dust off of the cover before slowly opening it. He tried his best to be delicate so as to not tear any of the old, yellowed pages. He gently flipped through pages of text, looking for pictures. It may have made him sound like a toddler, but picture books were his favorite. He loved seeing the depictions of far away lands and brave adventurers illustrated by artists from long ago.

About halfway through the book he found a picture that thoroughly confused his young mind. It was a man, completely naked save for the ropes binding his hands behind his back, kneeling before a voluptuous woman holding what appeared to be a horse whip. The woman was wearing a black corset and long boots and had her foot resting on the man's shoulder. She looked strangely pleased with the situation judging by the smirk on her face.

The young Eren had been a naive boy, and had wondered what the poor man had done to be tied up like that and why he wasn't wearing any clothes. He shrugged it off and continued flipping, finding more pictures of similar situations. He'd finally grown bored with the book after a few minutes and tossed it back onto the shelf. It wasn't until he'd become a teenager that he understood the true meaning behind the images.

_Maybe Levi is like that woman_, Eren thought to himself. Getting off on people bowing before him like some kind of pervert. He thought about how stupid he'd been to not realize it sooner. Why else would the man keep beating him for the smallest mistakes? He wanted Eren on his knees, fully submissive and ready to do anything he asked.

His thoughts were straying into dangerous territory, and he knew it. He tried to suppress the images that kept popping up in his head of kneeling before Levi, waiting with baited breath to see what the man would ask of him. He really wasn't trying to imagine the corporal running his fingers through his messy brown hair. He would never dream of fantasizing about those soft hands roaming over his chest, venturing lower, sliding slowly, seductively down his abdomen while leaning in so close that his breath was hot on Eren's neck...

_What the fuck is wrong with me? _

Eren could feel the blood rushing to his groin and he wanted to slap himself. Why? Why was he thinking about this? Why was he imagining doing those kinds of things? And with his superior officer of all people? He tried to distract himself by imagining a big breasted woman with supple hips and long legs lying beneath him, ready and waiting. He frowned when the thought did nothing but make him soft again. He sighed and decided to test himself by replacing the woman's face with Levi's. Much to his dismay his member was instantly brought back to life at the thought of the Corporal lying beneath him.

_Why why why?!_

He could feel his erection straining against the confines of his tight brown pants. He reluctantly lowered his hand between his legs and stroked himself through the thin fabric. He knew he really shouldn't be doing this, but he was so horny he found it hard to care about how wrong it was. He just needed release.

He focused on his earlier fantasy, picking up where he left off.

*everything in italics is in Eren's mind*

_Levi was kissing his neck, softly at first, licking and sucking at different spots and giving an occasional nip with his teeth. He trailed his tongue along the side of Eren's neck, feeling his pulse strong beneath his skin. Eren's cheeks were pink from the heat and his arousal. The older man then claimed Eren's mouth with his own, slipping his tongue past his teeth and into the wet heat. Their tongues wrestled for dominance, all the while exploring each other's mouths. Eren was so focused on the intensity of the kiss that it took him a minute to notice Levi's hand sliding further down his toned body, stealthily slipping under the waistband of his pants and beneath his underwear. _

Eren undid the front of his pants, unzipping them until he had enough room to pull down his underwear, freeing his aching member. Pre-cum was slowly oozing from the tip, proving just how worked up the depraved fantasy had made him. He began to jerk himself off, pumping slowly up and down and moaning into his pillow before further continuing his fantasy.

_Levi slowly, teasingly unbuttoned and unzipped Eren's pants and slid them down to reveal his underwear. His erection was straining against the white fabric, begging to be freed._

_Levi smirked. "What a little perv you are, getting this worked up over a kiss."_

_Eren's cheeks flushed an even deeper red and he looked away from Levi. "S-shut up" Levi just smirked that stupid smug smirk of his.  
_

_Although he didn't want to show it, he was anxiously awaiting the man's next move. Levi decided to stop teasing the poor boy and lowered his head until his breath ghosted over Eren's clothed erection, hot and humid. Eren let out a low moan at the contact. Levi smirked up at him once more._

_"Let's see if this part of you tastes as sweet as that vulgar mouth of yours."_

_Eren barely had time to think before Levi pulled down his underwear, revealing his swollen cock to the cool night air. Levi wasted no time getting started. He leaned in and flicked his tongue underneath the tip, sampling some of the clear liquid that had collected there. Eren whined a bit at the contact, desperately wanting more._

_Levi licked his lips before continuing, running his tongue slowly up from the base to the head of Eren's cock, making sure to keep eye contact with the boy as he did so. Those grey orbs were filled with desire. The sight was utterly breathtaking._

Eren's pace had quickened. He began to pump harder and faster, using his pre-cum as lubricant and tightening his grip around the shaft of his cock as more delicious images came flooding into his mind.

_Finally Levi took the hardened flesh into his mouth, letting it slide in until it nearly hit the back of his throat. The raven's hands slid down from Eren's stomach and gently gripped his soft inner thighs so that the older man could brace himself. Levi began to move his head back and forth, letting Eren experience the delicious warm wetness of his mouth. The brunette was on cloud nine. He ran his fingers through Levi's soft black hair, encouraging him to go faster. Levi complied, picking up the pace while swirling his tongue around the head. Eren gently gripped the sides of the older man's head, thrusting himself into that heavenly mouth. _

It was all too much. Eren could feel his pleasure reaching its climax. His pace became frantic as he felt himself reaching his peak. His hand slid up and down the slick shaft, pumping himself faster and faster. His other hand was pressed tightly against his mouth to stifle his lewd moans.

_Eren shuddered in pleasure. "Levi, if you don't stop I'm going to-"_

_Levi cut him off by sucking harder on his cock, encouraging Eren to go ahead and give him everything he's got. The boy couldn't take it anymore, he had reached his limit. He thrust himself deep into Levi's mouth, crying out as he came, coating the back of the older man's throat with the warm, sticky fluid. He rode out his orgasm, doing his best not to choke the older man but still pushing himself as deep as he could go, emptying every last drop. He shuddered from the aftershock of such intense pleasure before finally loosening his grip on the raven locks._

_Levi pulled away, a long string of cum trailing from his mouth to the tip of Eren's exhausted cock. He had made sure to swallow every last bit of the boy's seed. He wasn't one to be wasteful. He eagerly licked his lips to remove any remaining drops. He looked up at Eren with those seductive grey eyes. _

_"Not bad, Jaeger."_

Eren laid on his side, panting heavily and looking at the mess he'd made of the sheets. He stared down at his hand as if it was the one who made him perform such a lewd act. Some of the white sticky fluid had coated his fingers in his orgasmic bliss. He brought his hand up to his face, hesitating a moment before slipping one of the digits into his mouth. It tasted bitter and a little salty, but not bad. He removed his finger from his mouth before sighing. He pulled up his underwear and pants and got up from the bed. He yanked the soiled sheets off the bed, using them to wipe his hand before throwing them into the corner. After his hand was clean he threw himself down onto the bed and buried his face in a pillow.

Eren squeezed his eyes shut and ran his hands through his messy brown nest of hair.

_Well, it's official. I'm a freak._

With that he nodded off into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

Heh, I hope it wasn't too badly written. I haven't done smut in a while and it shows. I hope I didn't make Eren sound homophobic, he's just...confused :p Please review if you liked it!


	4. Chapter 4

Hello again you lovely people! I'm so flattered that I've gotten so many follows/favorites and reviews! Thanks so much!

Now as I mentioned before, my story may have inconsistencies with the manga as I'm going to go my own way with this story. It was going to be maybe 1 or 2 chapters long at first but it's so much fun to write these characters and I really like to add build up and detail before smutty scenes. So I hope that doesn't deter you and you keep reading! :)

* * *

Corporal Levi made his way through the narrow hallways of the courthouse where Eren Jaeger was currently residing. He and the rest of the small group he'd brought with him had stayed the night at a local inn across the street and had checked out of their rooms at daybreak. The journey to their new headquarters was a somewhat lengthy one and Levi figured that getting an early start would ensure that they arrived before nightfall.

Levi had considered renting a room at the inn for Eren, however their budget was limited and he was almost certain the innkeeper would not take kindly to having the boy stay after the trial yesterday. The townspeople were a rather cowardly, weak-minded bunch that were prone to spreading hate and mistrust towards things they didn't understand. It was part of the reason their headquarters were going to be so far away from society. For Eren's safety (and their own for protecting and harboring him), the group had decided that it was best if Eren stayed right where he was.

Hanji and Irvin had grumbled at bit at Levi's impatience and eagerness to get on the road. He'd declined a delicious complimentary full breakfast from the innkeeper's wife in favor of a mug of coffee and a biscuit each. In his mind eating a large breakfast was a waste of time. The sooner they made their way out of the area the better.

Levi had instructed the other two to retrieve their horses from the inn's stables and prepare them for the journey. Hanji had eagerly volunteered to fetch Eren, however Levi ignored her protests as he had made his way to wake the boy himself. Who knows what kind of strange things Hanji would attempt on the boy out of the sight of prying eyes.

And so Levi had ended up at the courthouse once again. As he rounded the corner the familiar wooden door leading to the prison came into sight. He hesitated a bit as he arrived before the entrance, thinking back to what had transpired the night before.

He really hadn't visited the boy with the intention of beating the shit out of him, that's just the way things had worked out. Levi supposed he didn't blame the boy for being taken aback by such a seemingly strange request, however he did expect Eren to follow orders without back-talking him. He was just an immature brat, after all.

He'd stayed behind after the trial despite protests from Hanji and Irvin. They were hesitant to leave the Corporal alone in fear of him being attacked by someone unsatisfied with the final verdict. He'd casually brushed off their concerns and made up an excuse about having "unfinished business" to take care of. They had finally given in and returned to the inn to wait for him. Levi's curiosity about Eren's regenerating powers had gotten the best of him and it needed to be sated.

He'd been pleased with the results overall. His fist had hurt a bit after punching the boy so hard, but it had been worth the pain. Knowing that the Recon Corps now had such a powerful advantage on their side would certainly help boost morale among the disheartened soldiers back at headquarters. If they could see that they now actually stood a chance against the Titans, they would be willing to fight harder to achieve their goal of freeing humanity from fear.

He would be lying if he'd said that those were his only reasons for paying the boy a visit. Eren had been the first person to not completely bore him in a very, very long time. He remembered the determination in those fierce turquoise eyes as he'd declared his wish to join the Recon Corps on the first night of his imprisonment. Eren's unbreakable spirit was one of the things Levi admired about him the most. He was also taken aback when the boy had volunteered to take the burden of humanity's hope and fears in the courtroom.

_"Just shut up and let me shoulder it all!"_

Of course Levi had had to stop the boy from changing into a Titan right then and there from his raging emotions, but still, it was an admirable sentiment. The Corporal secretly hoped that Eren didn't resent him for the beatings. He really had done it for his own good. Although the boy had declined any hard feelings after the trial, Levi wasn't entirely sure that Eren wouldn't try to kill him in his sleep. He shook his head and pushed the thought to the back of his mind.

_Well, enough with the stalling. Time to wake the stupid brat up._

As he entered the small, dark prison he mentally prepared himself to be attacked by the boy (just in case). After a few minutes Levi decided that his life wasn't in immediate danger and rounded the corner to stand in front of the thick iron bars. There he saw Eren Jaeger, the amazing boy with titan power's and humanity's last hope, cuddled up with a pillow and looking quite like a child. The blankets had gotten tangled up around his lower body and one leg was exposed, slightly hanging off the bed. He was holding onto the pillow like a teddy bear, squeezing it tightly as if he was afraid it would sprout legs and run off. He looked incredibly peaceful, his eyes lightly closed and his breathing slow and steady. Levi hated to admit it but the brat looked...cute. He almost hated to disturb that peaceful slumber. Almost.

Levi walked into the tiny cell and stood at the foot of the bed, trying not to focus on how helpless and adorable the boy looked at the moment. He cleared his throat. "Eren, get your useless ass out of bed and get dressed. We've got a long journey to make today and I'd like to leave before I grow old."

No response. Eren clearly hadn't heard a word he'd said. He was an incredibly deep sleeper. Levi sighed as his brow furrowed in annoyance. He walked over to the side of the tiny bed and grabbed the boy's shoulder, shaking it in hopes that the stupid brat would wake up. "Eren, I'm giving you a fair warning. If you don't wake up right this instant I will not hesitate to use physical force."

Eren groaned in response, his face scrunching up in annoyance and attempted swatting Levi's hands away. "Come on, Armin. Five more minutes." Levi let go of Eren's shoulder and tried to restrain himself against strangling the younger man. It didn't help that a small puddle of drool was beginning to pool onto the pillow the boy was clutching to his chest.

_That's it. He's not cute anymore._

The raven haired man finally lifted his leg and proceeded to roughly kick Eren off of the side of the bed and onto the floor. He landed with a loud thud.

"Ahh what the hell?!"

Judging from the boy's sudden outburst, Levi had finally managed to rouse him. He walked over to the side of the bed Eren had landed on and glared down at the boy, not bothering to hide how irritated he was. "I warned you, Jaeger. Now pick yourself up off the floor and go change into your maneuver gear, unless you want my boot up your ass."

Eren rubbed his head, wincing at the pain. He'd smacked it against the floor during his fall and he was certain he'd have a lump there later. He decided that instead of protesting, he'd comply and go get changed. He didn't want to stay in this cramped cell any longer and he was eager to stretch his limbs. He stood up and started to make his way out of the cell until he realized he had no idea where he was supposed to be heading to.

"Er, where should I go change, sir?"

Levi turned to face him, giving a tired sigh. "Down the hall, up the stairs. It'll be the first room on your right. Don't take too long, as I said before, we need to get moving. It's no longer safe for you to be among the general populace. If they spot you they might riot and demand you pay for your crimes."

Eren frowned. He knew it was true, he'd just not been ready to hear it put so bluntly. He had to learn to control his inner titan before people would begin to trust him, if they ever did. Not that he really cared about earning their trust, he just didn't want to have to hide away from society in fear of being killed everyday for the rest of his life. "Yes, sir. I'll head there now." Eren bowed slightly before departing. It was an oddly obedient gesture for a wild, untamed youth such as him. Levi just decided to ignore it and let his eyes wander the expanse of the cell. It could certainly use a good scrubbing and dusting. Levi wrinkled his nose in disgust at the layers of filth caked on the walls. He knew prison cells weren't meant to be clean but this was just ridiculous in his mind.

As he continued to scan the room he noticed a small white bundle in the top left corner of the cell. Levi had no idea what in the world it could be. Had the brat forgotten some of his meager belongings? Not that Levi really cared of course. He was just curious, that was all. He walked over to the bundle, figuring it to be some kind of knapsack as he picked it up and began to shake it, expecting its contents to fall to the ground. When nothing came out he realized that it was not a knapsack but the set of sheets that belonged to the small bed inside the cell. He had no idea why they were balled up in the corner until he spread the fabric out and spotted a rather large damp spot in the middle. Although it was clear and not yellow Levi still dropped the sheets like they were on fire, fearing that he'd just touched some kind of body fluid.

And if it wasn't urine, then there was only one other thing that it was likely to be.

_Not only is he an annoying brat, he's also a horny teenager. Jerking off right underneath a building full of people and leaving a mess. Have some self restraint for God's sake. What the hell would possess him to wank it in a jail cell?_

The boy had seemed less than energetic when Levi had left him the night before. Levi had figured the boy had just went straight to bed after the whole ordeal. Unless...

Surely Eren had known he was only joking about the "looking good on your knees" comment.

_Or was I?_

He couldn't deny that Eren was attractive in a rugged, unkempt kind of way. He also couldn't deny the excitement that had briefly coursed through him at seeing the boy on his knees, fully submissive before him. Thinking about it stirred something inside of him that Levi was sure was entirely inappropriate for him to feel about one of his subordinates. The thing was, he wasn't entirely sure if he cared how wrong it was.

Cursing himself for wasting even more time, Levi decided to not give in to his fantasies at the moment. He quickly turned and made his way out of the prison cell to find the nearest sink to wash his hands.

~xxx Eren's POV xxx~

Pride. Honor. Reluctance. All of these emotions were fighting for dominance in Eren Jaeger's heart as he gazed upon the jacket that had been custom made just for him. It bore the Wings of Freedom, the symbol of the Recon Corps and humanity's hope. He'd found it hanging in the large walk-in closet that Levi had directed him to. When he had turned on the light he saw a set of 3D maneuver gear and the standard uniform of all the military. That's when he'd spotted the jacket. The moment he had picked it up he could feel the quality of the fabric. It was incredibly well-made, even better than his old one. He was more than eager to strip off his prison clothes and try on the new outfit.

As he removed his thin brown pants, he saw something fall out of the shallow pockets. He bent down to inspect it, not remembering storing anything in them. Upon further inspection he recognized the tiny piece of cloth. It was the blood stained handkerchief that Corporal Levi had given to him the night before. It had been a pristine white until Eren had used it to clean his wounds. He still couldn't grasp the concept of Levi showing him even the smallest act of kindness. Maybe he'd just been disgusted at the sight of his blood, but still. He picked up the fabric and brought it to his face, inhaling deeply.

_It still smells like him. _

Eren immediately blushed and pushed the thought from his mind and resumed changing into his outfit. Even after all this time it still took him at least fifteen minutes to fully put on his 3D gear without getting tangled in the straps. After all his underclothes and gear were on he removed the jacket from its hanger and slipped it on, grinning widely when he realized it was indeed a perfect fit. He turned to face the long mirror behind him so that he could see the symbol emblazoned on the back.

_This is it. I'm really part of the the Recon Corps! If only Mikasa and Armin could see me now._

He smiled sadly at the thought, hoping his dear friends were getting along alright without him. He made a mental note to himself to ask the Corporal about them later. He patted his pockets, noticing that there was something in the left one. He pulled out the small, plastic object and discovered that it was a comb. They really had thought of everything.

He raked the comb through his messy brown locks a few time, trying to make them not stick up so much. After a few minutes he finally gave up and decided that it really wasn't that important. Satisfied with his appearance, Eren took a deep breath and threw the closet door open, stepping out into the hallway as a new man.

* * *

When he finally made it to the entrance of the courthouse he found the Corporal waiting for him. He tapped his foot impatiently as Eren approached. "About time, Jaeger. Let's go."

He stared up at those massive doors, trying his best to prepare himself for his new life. The guards just gave him angry stares and did their best to make sure Eren knew that he was not welcome there. The taller guard motioned his head towards the doors, signaling Eren that it was time to leave. He agreed.

Levi pushed open the double doors, letting in a slight breeze that ruffled his black locks and made his green cape flutter behind him. Eren never thought that the wind on his face could feel so good. He took in a deep breath of the fresh outside air and stepped out into the sunlight. The harsh rays made his eyes hurt as he winced. They were used to the dim light of the prison and hadn't had time to adjust to bright light. He shielded his eyes with one hand as he tried his best to keep up with Levi's quick strides. It was a relief to hear the crunch of green grass under his boots instead of the click-clack of a hard stone floor. He'd never been happier to set foot outside in all of his life.

After a few minutes of complete silence Eren decided to speak up.

"Um, sir, you still haven't told me where we're heading."

Levi didn't bother to look back at him as he answered. "First, to the inn to meet up with the rest of my squad. After that we will depart for our new base of operations. It's an old castle just outside the walls that used to be the headquarters for the Recon Corps in the past until it was abandoned."

Eren could vaguely recall a picture of the place that he'd seen in one of Armin's books. It had looked like some medieval castle right out of a fairy tale. "Wow, neat. I hear it's massive." Levi only "hmm'd" in response. It really wasn't easy trying to hold a conversation with the man. Luckily it took no time at all for them to arrive in front of the inn.

It was a three story building with a striking red roof and many windows lined with expensive curtains and flower boxes full of roses. A small chimney poked out from the top of the roof, emitting a steady stream of smoke. It was a rather nice inn, especially for the military. Eren figured that it must have been specially reserved by the Recon Corps for the trial.

Outside of the inn near the stables the rest of the squad were finishing preparing the horses for the journey. Commander Irvin and Mike were already mounted and waiting. Hanji was strapping the saddle to her chestnut mare as she noticed the two approaching. "Ah, there you are! I was beginning to think you'd become lost or injured, Corporal." Levi ignored her as he looked for his horse. Irvin had already outfitted it for riding to save time before the two returned. He handed over the reins and Levi gave the horse a few soft pats on the neck. It was a gorgeous black stallion with fierce grey eyes that matched Levi's to a T. It happily snorted in response and demanded that Levi pat its nose by shoving it under his hand. Levi complied and Eren swore that a tiny smile had found its way onto his lips. "It's nice to see you too, Onyx." He slipped a small white square of sugar from his pocket and fed it to the beast who happily crunched it up. He then noticed Eren watching him and frowned, clearing his throat and pretending that nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Hanji finished adjusting her horse's saddle and turned to face Eren. Her eyes immediately lit up when she spotted the boy standing there. "Eren! There you are! I was beginning to think that you'd escaped or that Corporal Levi had accidentally beaten you too hard and had to bury your body before it was discovered."

Eren didn't know how anyone could say something like that with a smile on their face, but he chalked it up to this being a group full of weirdos. He just decided to smile in response. "Ah, hello, Hanji-san. Um, it was nothing like that. I'd just overslept on accident, haha sorry about that." He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. He knew they had been waiting on him and he felt bad for delaying their journey. Hanji didn't seem to mind in the slightest, however. "Oh, it's no problem, Eren! While the Corporal was gone I had time to make notes of questions to ask you about your titan powers! The first one is-"

Levi cut her off before she could start rambling. "There's no time. Do it on the way to the castle. We've wasted enough daylight already." He looked at Eren as he said the last few words, making the boy avert his eyes and look down at the ground in shame. He really hadn't meant to oversleep, but after everything that had happened yesterday his body had been left utterly exhausted. It didn't help that he'd further...strained himself last night with that raunchy fantasy. He pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind before looking around for the horse he'd be riding to the castle. Hanji had seemed to read his mind and handed over the reins to the chestnut mare. "Here. This is Phoenix. She'll be your horse from now on. Treat her like a lady, won't you?"

Eren wasn't sure how to treat a horse like a lady, but he nodded anyway. "Thanks! What about you, Hanji-san? Isn't she your horse?" Hanji smiled and shook her head. "Nah, my horse is that one over there." She pointed to what Eren could only describe as one of the fiercest looking horses he'd ever seen. It was a brown and white paint mare with a wild mane and intense brown eyes. It pawed at the ground, eager to stretch its legs on a ride. Hanji happily strolled up to it and climbed into the saddle. "Well, lets go!"

Eren nodded and climbed up into the saddle, patting Phoenix's neck. "It's nice to meet you, Phoenix. I'm Eren." The chestnut mare moved her ears back and forth, carefully listening and snorting in response, as if greeting him in return. Eren smiled and took the reins in his hands. With everyone saddled up and ready to go, Levi lightly tapped Onyx's sides with the heels of his boots and the horse trotted off on the dirt trail, leaving the rest of his squad in the dust. The others took it as their signal to start moving and took off after him.

* * *

An hour into their journey Levi had slowed his pace, giving Onyx a break from the vigorous exercise. Everyone followed suit, slowing down to a walk. It had warmed up considerably since they departed that morning and Eren had a thin coat of sweat covering his body. He'd foolishly drained almost all of the water in his canteen already and was starting to regret it. He really hoped that Levi planned on stopping for water before it was empty.

Everyone else seemed to be accustomed to the heat and showed no signs of discomfort. Eren almost felt embarrassed for how quickly he was growing uncomfortable with heat and thirst. He was extremely thankful when Levi stopped his horse as they approached a small stream flowing across the path. "Let's stop and let the horses drink. We are finally making good time and they could use a rest." He dismounted and led Onyx to the cool water. The horse bent down happily drank. The others did the same for their mounts and stretched their legs after dismounting.

Eren unscrewed the cap to his canteen and lowered it into the water. It was clear and cool and the boy debated jumping in, fully clothed to go for a quick swim. He decided against it when Levi walked up beside him, bending down and refilling his own canteen. It hadn't been empty but the streams around the forest they were traveling through were few and far between and he had decided that it was for the best to refill it now.

Eren looked at him and noticed that he was sweating just as much, if not more than he was. He figured that maybe because the older man held a higher rank that he was allowed to stay indoors longer than the rest of his squad and hadn't become accustomed to the heat. Eren looked away, not wanting to get caught staring at him again and finished refilling his canteen. Instead of swimming he decided to take a deep breath and dunk his head under the cool water, soaking his hair and face. The water rushed past him and Eren felt like he was in heaven. Before long his lungs demanded oxygen and he pulled his head out of the water, his wet hair dripping and soaking his jacket and undershirt. He shook his head, removing the wet brown strands from in front of his eyes. He could see Levi's questioning look out of the corner of his eyes.

"What the hell are you doing, Jaeger? You're getting your sweat and filth in our drinking water." Eren just laughed it off. "It felt too good to resist. I know its silly but it really helps take your mind off the heat." Levi looked down at the stream, contemplating something. "Hmm, for once you make a good point, Jaeger. And the stream is freely flowing so your grime has probably already been washed away."

Eren rolled his eyes (only because Levi was distracted and wouldn't notice the gesture). "Yeah, probably."

Levi moved a bit downstream to find a good spot to try and cool himself off. He hadn't noticed the patch of slick mud until it was too late, and he slipped, falling face first into the water with a loud splash. Eren's eyes widened and he ran over to the spot where Levi had been standing only seconds before. "Corporal! Are you ok?!"

He was relieved when the raven haired man resurfaced, his black hair covering his face. The water hadn't been deep, thank goodness. Eren was almost certain that Levi knew how to swim, but he was still concerned that the man might have hit his head on a rock or something. Luckily there was nothing but sand on the bottom. Levi didn't respond, wiping the hair out of his eyes with his sleeve. A minute passed before he finally spoke. "It feels good."

Eren breathed a sigh of relief. He had been expecting the Corporal to get out and strangle him for suggesting such a foolish thing. He watched as Levi finally stood up, water dripping from his soaked uniform. Eren couldn't tear his eyes away as he noticed how the white undershirt now clung to the man's firm, toned chest, practically see-through. His cravat had come undone and lied loosely around his neck. His tight brown pants seemed to hug his form even more than usual, showing off his narrow hips and lean, muscular legs. His 3D gear was still on tight, unaffected by the water.

Eren's eyes then finally wandered to the place he'd been trying not to stare at the most; Levi's ass.

It was slightly round, yet firm and fit from years of training and exercise. Eren blushed as he watched the firm muscles move back and forth as Levi made his way to the opposite side of the stream. As he emerged from the water he bent down to remove his boots, shaking them to remove the water that had pooled there, simultaneously giving Eren an eyeful of his posterior.

Eren considered jumping into the cool water to get rid of the hardness that arose between his legs. He totally forgot that everyone else had been watching too, and now he felt like a pervert for staring so long. Luckily they hadn't noticed. They had all finished filling their canteens long ago and had remounted, heading further downstream to the small cobblestone bridge that crossed the stream. Levi finally finished shaking out his boots and wringing the water out of his cape and jacket. "Let's go, Jaeger."

Eren quickly snapped out of his peeping tom mode and nodded. "Y-yes sir." He climbed back into the saddle and stashed his canteen in the saddlebag. As he started to press his heels into Phoenix's side with his boots to urge her forward, Levi shouted above the noise of the running water.

"And if I ever catch you staring at my ass like that again I'll end you."

Eren pressed his heels a little harder this time.

* * *

Woo boy! Long chapter and not a lot of stuff going on! I tried to add a lot more detail this time. Sorry there wasn't any smut but I promise it's coming :p Thanks so much for reading, you guys really keep me motivated!


	5. Chapter 5

Hello again everyone! Once again, thanks for all of the follows/favorites/reviews and for being patient for the updates.

Remember, stuff in italics is the character's inner thoughts.

* * *

After another hour and a half of riding, Levi and his squad finally arrived at the abandoned castle that would be their new headquarters. Eren marveled at the sight of the grand structure. It really was as big as the books had made it out to be.

_It looks straight out of a fairytale._

The squad dismounted and led their horses around to the stables that were located alongside the castle. Eren had been stuck with the task of fetching water for the horse trough. After filling up a large bucket from the outside pump, Eren carried the (incredibly heavy) water over to the trough and dumped it in. He took off Phoenix's saddle and bridle and gave her a few pats on the nose before turning her loose in the small corral outside of the stables.

He spotted Levi doing the same to Onyx, secretly sneaking the horse a carrot from his pocket and scratching behind his ears. The man was a total mystery to Eren. Most of the time he got to see the stern, serious and easily irritated side of the Corporal, but very rarely he would catch a glimpse of a kinder, gentler side of him. He secretly wished that he could see it more often.

He decided that it would probably be a good idea to apologize to Levi for being such a pervert earlier. He was sure the man had put Eren on his shit-list long ago, but it didn't hurt to try and redeem himself at least a little bit. He slowly approached Levi as he undid the saddle and bridle from Onyx and turned him loose to drink. He gathered up all his courage and prayed that Levi was in a somewhat good mood.

"Um…can I talk to you for a minute, Corporal?"

Levi turned to face him. Eren was relieved to see that the man's expression was not one of anger or annoyance but total indifference.

"What is it, Jaeger?"

A tiny bit of redness appeared on Eren's cheeks and he searched for the right words to say. "I..umm.." He was having trouble getting the words to come out of his mouth. "Er…that is…I wanted to apologize for…what happened earlier…at the stream. I didn't realize that I was staring at you…like that."

Eren thought he was going to die of embarrassment. He wished he could just sink into the ground and disappear. He was slightly relieved when Levi didn't seem touchy about the subject. He heaved the riding equipment over his shoulder and headed inside the stable to put it away. He yelled back over his shoulder,

"Don't worry about it, Jaeger. I plan to have you make it up to me."

That statement didn't sit well with Eren for some reason. He was a little afraid of just what Levi had planned for him. He wanted to ask but was too scared to push his luck with the older man. He was more than a little grateful when Petra and Mike, two other members of Levi's squad, came riding out of the forest. They had ridden far ahead of the group to scout out the area and make sure that no titans were anywhere in the vicinity. They had arrived at the castle about half an hour before the others and decided to search the grounds surrounding it. When they sensed no immediate threat they made their way back to report to Levi. Petra dismounted and immediately saluted the Corporal, who emerged from the stables, dusting himself off.

"Sir! Mike and I have confirmed that no titans are present in the area for now. We've stationed some lookouts around the perimeter of the castle just in case they decide to appear this evening."

Levi nodded. "Good. Your next assignment is to investigate the castle and report back to me what kind of condition it's in." Petra saluted once more. "Sir, yes sir!" She relaxed when Levi departed to rendezvous with the rest of the squad. She turned her attention towards Eren, smiling brightly. "Oh, hello there! You must be Eren Jaeger! I've heard so much about you! My name's Petra Ral. Nice to meet you!"

Eren tried to process all of the information she'd dumped on him at once. The redhead just beamed at him, waiting for a response. He finally realized that he was being rude and stuck out his hand for a handshake.

"Oh sorry. I spaced out there for a minute. Yeah, I'm Eren. It's nice to meet you, Petra!" He smiled back and tried to appear more friendly. She enthusiastically shook his hand and Eren was relieved that he hadn't put her off. If he made a good first impression maybe she wouldn't think he was a monster. She was cute, in a kid sister kind of way. Her gold eyes seemed to be full of nothing but kindness.

All was going well until Eren heard a sniffing sound behind him. He turned around to find Mike looking much like a dog sniffing a new person. Except, they had already met once before and it was just as awkward back then as it was now. He did his best to just ignore it until the man seemed to be satisfied and moved away from the boy. Petra gave Eren another smile, chuckling a bit. "Oh, I think you already met Mike, he's a little strange, but who isn't these days? Oh! We better get going, Mike! Corporal Levi will be furious if we don't scope out the castle for him. See ya later, Eren!" Mike nodded. The two began making their way to the castle, Petra turning and waving goodbye at Eren, who returned the gesture.

_She doesn't seem so strange…yet._

Eren decided to head back to the entrance of the castle and find out what he was supposed to do next.

* * *

When he arrived he saw everyone standing outside the castle chatting until Petra pushed open the front doors, releasing a great cloud of dust from inside. She coughed a bit. "The castle is structurally sound, but incredibly dusty." Levi looked at the dust cloud with disdain. "Well, let's start cleaning." To everyone's surprise Levi volunteered to participate, slipping a bandana over his mouth to protect his lungs from breathing in the dust and one on his head to keep it out of his hair. "Everyone get to dusting and mopping. I'll do the dining hall." Everyone nodded, grabbing a white bandana each and heading into the castle.

* * *

Eren had never cleaned so much in his entire life. Every time he thought he was finished with a room Levi would come in and find a spot he'd missed, making him redo the whole thing. His back ached from bending over and he couldn't stop sneezing, even with the bandana wrapped around his nose and mouth. When he finally finished up the last room on the top floor he spotted Petra out in the hall sweeping up. She waved at him and stopped sweeping to come say hello.

"Hey Eren! How's the dusting going?" She noticed how tired, sweaty and dirty Eren was after she had asked and had her answer. Eren just have her a tired smile and replied. "I'm almost finished with this room. It should be the only one left that hasn't been cleaned by someone." Petra gave him a sympathetic look.

"Oh my, are you alright, Eren? You seem rather exhausted. I can finish up this room if you want."

Eren just sighed and shook his head. "It's ok. Once the Corporal inspects it I'm sure he will find a spot I didn't get and make me redo the entire thing. I don't want you to have to clean it because I made a mistake." Petra continued to give him a concerned look as if he were going to collapse at any moment. When Eren gave her another tired smile she sighed and nodded.

"Ok, if you say so. I'm sorry if Corporal Levi is working you extra hard. He can be really harsh sometimes, but he's not a bad person." Eren wasn't convinced at the moment, but he knew that it was true. He just couldn't understand why he seemed to be on the receiving end of the man's bad temper lately. He was reluctant to share his feelings, but Petra's honest expression convinced him that she was someone he could trust. He sighed again. "Yeah, I know. He's done more for humanity in a few short years than most do in a lifetime. It just seems like I'm an inconvenience to him."

Petra vigorously shook her head in protest. "No, don't think that Eren! If the Corporal really didn't want you around he wouldn't have fought so hard to get you into the Recon Corps. He also wouldn't have volunteered to look after you in case you turned into a titan again." Eren reluctantly nodded, even though he didn't quite agree with her last statement.

_Look after me? You mean put me down like a rabid dog._

She continued, "And maybe the reason he's been hard on you is to toughen you up,not to be mean."

He knew that the redhead was trying her best to cheer him up, so he put on a smile despite his inner protests. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks, Petra." She gave him a bright smile and nodded.

Eren almost jumped out of his skin when he heard a familiar masculine voice from behind the girl. "Jaeger, are you finished cleaning this room yet?" He still had the bandana over his mouth and nose so that only his cold grey eyes were showing. Eren really hoped he hadn't been listening the entire time and was glad that his reddened cheeks were hidden by his bandana.

"Yes, sir. At least I think so." He watched as Levi checked his work, swiping his fingers over different surfaces to see if it came away free of dust. Eren had done his best to make sure he didn't have to clean this room twice. Much to Eren's relief he was unable to find a single dusty spot left. When he was satisfied with the state of the room he removed the bandana from his mouth. "Alright, Jaeger. You can head downstairs for your evening meal. You too, Ral. I'll finish sweeping the hall."

Eren sighed in relief. He really didn't know if he had it in him to clean one more spec of dust from the place. Petra nodded and handed Levi the broom, quickly heading back down the hall and descending the stairs before the man could change his mind. Eren untied his bandana and shoved it into his pocket. As he started to leave Levi spoke. "Oh, and your room will be in the basement. It's the only place where it will be possible to restrain you if you happen to change into your titan form. I've gone ahead and had a bed and closet moved down there for you." Eren just nodded. He'd gotten used to sleeping in dark, dreary places before and he could do it again. "Alright. Thank you, sir." Levi made a kind of "mmm" noise in response and began sweeping the hall. Eren made his way down the hall and descended the stairs. He really hoped there was plenty of food tonight because he was starving from working so hard.

When he arrived in the dining hall he noticed that everyone was finishing their meals. Apparently they hadn't been assigned to clean near as many rooms as he had. He really wasn't surprised. He sat down and helped himself to the spread of food on the long wooden table. There were baked potatoes, fish filets, wild mushrooms in gravy and huge flaky biscuits. A freshly brewed pot of tea was provided for him to drink. He greedily took a heaping spoonful of all the main dishes and three biscuits, devouring it all as if he hadn't eaten in weeks. It was delicious, much better than the gruel he'd had to consume during training. Petra and Mike were sitting down from him at the same table, chatting amongst themselves. Eren was about to get up to get a glass of water (the tea really wasn't to his taste), when one was suddenly placed before him. He looked up to see that Hanji had delivered it.

"Hey, Eren! I hope the Corporal didn't work you too hard. Here's some water for you. Oh! And before I forget, this was just delivered a few moments ago. It's for you." She pulled a small white envelope out of her pocket and handed it to him. It was a letter addressed to him in a familiar messy scrawl. Eren's spirits were instantly lifted when he recognized the writing as Armin's. He took the letter from her and eagerly ripped the envelope open, careful not to tear the letter. Hanji grinned and walked back to the table she was previously sitting at as Eren began to read it.

_Dear Eren,_

_How are you? It feels like it's been forever since we last spoke. I know I was at the trial but I regret that I didn't get the chance to say anything to you before they hauled you away. Mikasa and I really miss you, and so does the rest of the 104__th__ squad. Even Jean misses you, though he would never admit it. We are all doing ok, but it's been dull around here without you. I'm writing to you because I have something I'd like to deliver to you personally. I'll be making my way towards the castle tomorrow morning. I should arrive by noon if I take the same path the Recon Corps traveled. We can meet halfway and ride there together, if you want. I would love a chance to catch up and talk about everything that's happened in the past few days. I hope they've been treating you well. Corporal Levi is a fierce man but I believe you can trust him._

_Oh, and I'm keeping this meeting a secret from the others, especially Mikasa. I know that she would try her best to bring you back, even if it meant kidnapping you. Make sure you get permission to leave before you head out. I don't want you to get into any trouble because of me._

_Best wishes,_

_Armin _

Eren couldn't help but smile at the thought of meeting up with his childhood friend. He missed Armin and Mikasa more than words could say and it was a relief to hear that they and everyone else in the 104th training squad were doing ok. He had been constantly worried about them ever since he'd woken up chained to the bed in the prison beneath the courthouse. He was certain he'd sleep better tonight knowing that they were all safe. Now he had something to look forward to tomorrow besides hard work. He cheerfully stuffed the letter in his jacket pocket and continued eating.

As he popped a rather large piece of potato into his mouth he noticed Levi coming down the stairs to the dining room. He had finally finished cleaning and it looked like he had just gotten out of the bath. No one would be able to tell that he'd been dusting and cleaning the entire day. His clothes were clean and pressed and his raven hair was neatly combed.

_Figures. I guess he really is a clean freak._

The older man scanned the room as he descended the stairs, looking for the least populated table to dine at. He really didn't like eating with a lot of other people. He couldn't stand watching them chew with their mouth open or wipe their hands on their clothes like disgusting pigs. He realized that this was the military but he was still disappointed with the lack of basic manners among the rest of the soldiers.

Eren looked back down at his plate and secretly hoped the man didn't decide to sit at his table. He had been eating like a starved animal and had made a huge mess in the process. Biscuit crumbs and bits of potato and gravy covered his end of the table. He had really thought he wouldn't have to worry about anyone bothering him, since almost everyone was finished eating already. He hadn't been worried about not looking like a slob until now.

_Please don't come over here. I don't want to spend the rest of the night scrubbing the dining hall because I spilled a few things._

Much to his dismay Levi had indeed selected his table to sit at, pouring himself a cup of tea and grabbing a biscuit from the tray. Eren swallowed his potato and decided he really wasn't hungry anymore, pushing away the food that remained on his plate. Luckily Levi had sat on the other end of the table but on the same side that he was sitting on. Thankfully the man didn't seem to notice the mess on his end.

The older man didn't even seem to acknowledge his presence, which Eren was very grateful for. He decided that it was time to leave and collected the plates he'd dirtied and stacked a half-full glass of tea on top, doing his best to balance it as he got up from the table and began to make his way to the giant tub of soapy water at the end of the dining hall where dirty dishes were placed to be washed later by whoever was on kitchen duty that day.

He really should have known that if something bad was going to happen to him, it would happen in front of Levi.

As he passed the older man Eren failed to notice the slick spot of gravy under his feet. He immediately lost his footing, sending the plates and the cup of tea flying into the air until they landed with a loud crash on the hard stone floor. Eren fell, landing with an "oof" on his stomach, the wind knocked out of him as he hit the ground. He heard the collective gasp of those that still remained in the dining hall.

He pushed himself up to a sitting position and tried to catch his breath. He slowly got to feet, dusting himself off and noticing that everyone was staring in his direction. He blushed a bit in embarrassment, rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous gesture.

"Umm…sorry everyone, I didn't mean to startle you. I guess I slipped, haha."

As he watched the others he noticed that they weren't looking _at _him, but behind him. Curious to what they could possibly be staring at, he turned around.

Still sitting at the table was a very soaked, very furious looking Corporal. Eren hadn't realized that when he slipped, his teacup had gone flying in Levi's direction, spilling its contents onto the older man. His raven hair was dripping with the liquid, soaking his clean white undershirt and staining it brown. Luckily the tea had only been lukewarm when Eren finished eating; otherwise it would have surely scalded him. Eren began sweating profusely, a look of pure fear and panic crossing his features. He could feel the seething rage emanating from the older man, his grey eyes narrowed in anger. Eren felt like he'd stepped on the tail of a sleeping lion.

_Shit shit shit. He's going to murder me, right here in front of everyone, I just know it. This is it, this is how I die._

Everyone exchanged nervous glanced between each other as Levi finally stood up from the table. As he turned to face him Eren flinched. He just wanted to shrink down until he fell through the floor. Unfortunately he remained glued to the spot, paralyzed by fear.

_This must be how it feels for prey to be cornered by a hunter._

He knew there was no escape and tried to prepare himself for the beating that sure to come. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists at his sides, bracing himself for whatever Levi was going to throw at him. He winced a bit when Levi spoke, anger clearly present in his voice.

"Jaeger. You do realize that I'm going to have to make you pay for this?"

Eren only nodded, not opening his eyes. He didn't want to see the death glare the man was surely giving him at the moment. As he heard Levi move he mentally prepared himself for the great pain that was surely to come.

He was certainly not expecting to feel a warm liquid being dumped on his head, soaking his hair and clothing. His eyes shot open in surprise and he saw that Levi had poured his own cup of tea on Eren's head. His hair stuck to his face and he had to wipe the brown liquid out of his eyes. It stung his eyes a little but it was nothing compared to the punch or kick he'd been expecting. The dining hall was completely silent, everyone at a loss for words. Levi calmly sat the teacup back down on the table and spoke once more.

"Now, you will clean this dining hall from top to bottom, and that includes all the dirty dishes. If even a single speck of dust remains in the morning _you will regret it._"

With that Levi stormed off, making his way back up the stairs to bathe and get another clean set of clothes, leaving everyone in the dining hall utterly flabbergasted.

Eren was still trying to understand what had just occurred. Levi hadn't beaten him, or even yelled at him really. It was almost as if the man was letting him off easy, even with the monumental task of cleaning the entire dining hall. He had no idea how he'd just escaped a brutal beating. When Levi had dumped the tea onto him it had almost seemed…_playful._

_That's impossible. He was probably just too tired to beat me, that's all. I guess I just got lucky._

He glanced back at the others and saw that everyone else looked equally as surprised as him. They had all expected to witness an act of violence. After a few seconds they all relaxed and resumed eating and talking amongst themselves.

Eren finally snapped out of his stupor, looking around at the shattered dishes and remnants of food that littered the floor. He sighed and supposed that he should find a broom to begin cleaning up the mess. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

By the time the dining room was entirely spotless Eren could hardly move. It had taken him three hours to clean it. His entire body was stiff and aching and he was covered in sweat and grime. He barely had the energy to put the broom and mop away and head out the dining room doors. He vaguely recalled the direction Petra had told him the basement was in and made his way down the hall.

As exhausted as he was, he felt the overwhelming need to bathe before going to sleep. He knew that he wouldn't have time to do it before training tomorrow morning. He made his way to the downstairs bathing area, which consisted of nothing more than large wooden tubs filled with heated water. There was no privacy about them, and the castle servants would constantly enter and exit the room to empty and refill the water.

There hadn't been any servants when they arrived, so Eren had no idea where they had come from. He supposed they were just poor folk desperate enough to leave the walls to find work so that they could feed their families. Whatever the case, Eren was grateful that they had prepared him a bath at his request. He wasn't used to anyone doing anything for him since he'd joined the military, and it was a nice change of pace.

He slowly undressed, his sore muscles protesting every movement. He really didn't care that there were several other male squad members bathing there as well. No one even seemed to notice him, all relaxing in their own tubs, oblivious to the world around them. He was glad that Levi had either chosen a different place to bathe, or had finished already. If seeing his wet body fully clothed was enough to excite the boy then how would he react to seeing him naked?

_Ugh, stop it Eren. Let's not think about those kinds of things while you're naked in public._

He tried not to think about it, instead anticipating the relief that the warm water would provide his aching body. He slowly lowered himself into the tub, taking a moment to get used to the temperature before fully submerging himself, head and all. He couldn't believe how wonderful the warm water felt at the moment and when he resurfaced he let out a satisfied sigh. He leaned back and hung his arms over the side of the tub. He hadn't gotten the chance to take a lengthy bath in such a long time he'd almost forgotten what it was like.

After letting his sore body soak in the heavenly water for a while, Eren grabbed the bar of soap that one of the servants had placed by the tub. He began to lather himself up from head to toe, scrubbing the caked on dirt from his skin, leaving it a flushed pink color. It vaguely smelled like a mixture of lavender and roses. He worked the suds into his hair and dunked his head under the water to rinse. He was glad to get rid of the smell of stale tea from his brown locks.

When he noticed that he was the only one that remained in the bathing area he decided that it would be a good idea for him to head to bed. He stood up and let some of the water drip off his body and back into the tub. He then grabbed the fluffy towel that had been provided for him beside the tub and stepped out onto to the cool stone floor.

He was thankful that the servants had really thought of everything and had brought him a change of clothes. It was a plain white button up shirt and loose brown pants, similar to his prison attire but much less raggedy. There was also a clean pair of boxers underneath the pants. He dried himself off, ruffling the towel through his wet hair and tossing it on floor. He then pulled on the plain pair of grey boxers and the loose brown pants, tying a knot in the front to keep them from falling off of his narrow hips. He slipped on the white shirt and buttoned it, leaving the top few buttons undone out of laziness. He was going straight to bed so it really didn't matter anyway.

When he was fully dressed he thanked the male servant standing by the door and made his way back down the hall to the basement. He didn't feel so sore anymore, but he was still exhausted. He pulled open the door to the basement and was glad to see that someone had lit the candles on the sconces by the stairs to prevent anyone from tripping. He figured one of the servants had done it. They must have been told that he would be staying in the basement. He slowly descended the stairs, careful not to accidentally skip any and fall. When he made it to the bottom he saw that Levi had indeed had a bed placed down there for him. It was small but comfortable looking, and Eren wasted no time in diving headfirst into the welcoming softness. He secretly wondered if anyone else had gotten a bed this comfortable.

He blew out the candle that had been placed on the small nightstand next to his bed and buried himself in the fluffy blankets. They were much more comfortable than the ones in his tiny cell back at the courthouse. He grinned when he discovered that the pillows were filled with fluffy down feathers and were incredibly soft. He hardly had time to think about how excited he was to meet Armin the next day as he fell into a wonderful, deep sleep.

That night he dreamed about Levi licking tea off of every inch of his body.

* * *

Thanks for reading! I'll be out of town until Sunday so the next update will probably come Monday.


	6. Chapter 6

Oooh boyyy this chapter turned out WAY longer than I had anticipated. Therefore I split it into two parts, and I'm currently finishing up the second half as I type this. I hope you all don't mind the length, I got a bit carried away. Please read and enjoy!

* * *

The next morning Eren had actually managed to wake up on time. The anticipation of meeting up with Armin was giving him the extra motivation he needed to wake up early and prepare for the day's training. He enthusiastically changed into his uniform and strapped on his 3D maneuver gear, making sure that it was secured properly to avoid any accidents. He ran a comb through his messy brown hair before jogging up the stairs and making his way down the hall.

The dining hall was full of squad members eating breakfast and drinking their morning coffee. Unlike the feast the night before, breakfast merely consisted of cold, slightly stale leftover biscuits. Eren was far too giddy to be bothered such a trivial thing and happily munched on one. As he ate he eyed the coffee that everyone else had in their cups. He had only ever drank the stuff once, and although it smelled heavenly, it had been incredibly bitter and unpleasant. He decided to give it a try and poured himself a cup, blowing on the hot brown liquid before slowly bringing it up to his mouth and taking sip.

It tasted as awful as he remembered and he grimaced as it made its way down his throat. Someone must have noticed the face he was making because a few seconds later he heard giggling. He looked up in time to see Petra sit down across from him, pushing a dish of cream and sugar towards him.

"Here, it tastes a lot better when you put these in it, I promise," she said, stifling a laugh.

Eren blushed a bit. "Good morning, Petra. So you saw that, huh?"

Petra nodded and laughed, "Yeah. Your face was all scrunched," she imitated his expression, scrunching up her nose," it was funny. Just add cream and sugar and it it'll taste great!"

Eren nodded and reached over, grabbing the cream and pouring a little bit into his coffee until it turned light brown instead of black. He then spooned a heaping portion of sugar into it and stirred. Satisfied with the final product, he brought the cup up to his lips and tasted it.

_Mmm so much better._

"This is great! Thanks for the tip, Petra," he said before taking another long sip, reveling in the sweet, mild flavor.

The redhead nodded, "No problem, Eren. Did you sleep well last night? You'll need all your energy for today's training."

Eren felt his cheeks redden a bit, remembering what he'd dreamed about last night (more importantly _who _he'd dreamed about). He had gotten a good night's sleep, aside from waking up with stiff muscles and a throbbing…problem between his legs. He'd had to conjure up some unpleasant imagery to get it to go away without relieving himself. He found out that imagining Commander Pixis in his underwear was a good way to kill any arousal he had.

Snapping back to the present, Eren hastily replied, "O-oh yeah. I slept like a rock, haha."

Petra smiled once again. "Glad to hear it! You needed a good rest after working so hard yesterday."

She poured herself a cup of coffee and a biscuit, sneaking one into her jacket for a snack later. Even when they were cold they were incredibly tasty.

The two finished up their breakfast, chatting amongst themselves.

* * *

Levi had gotten an early start today, just like he did most days. He woke up at the crack of dawn out of habit, giving himself enough time to take his (hour long) morning shower and make his bed before heading down for breakfast.

He hated breakfast, just for the simple fact that everyone ate it at the same time. The dining hall was packed to the brim with soldiers hurriedly choking down their food before they started the day's training. He tried to ignore them as he picked the least populated table and poured himself a cup of coffee. He drank it black, having gotten used to not having the luxuries of cream and sugar out in the field. The strong, bitter taste invigorated him, giving him the energy he needed to get through the day without murdering anyone.

He absentmindedly looked for Eren, wondering if the boy was still sleeping. He wouldn't put it past the brat, being such a heavy sleeper.

_He better not spill coffee on me, the little shit._

Normally Levi would have kicked someone's ass for daring to dirty his clean clothes. It had taken him an hour and a half to completely wash the smell of stale tea out of his hair. He should have sent Eren to bed with a black eye, but he'd settled for making him clean the entire dining hall. Maybe he was getting soft as he got older. Or maybe he'd found the boy's terrified expression during their confrontation adorable. Either way, he had to stop being so laid back before people began to notice.

He finally spotted the brunette sitting at a table in the corner of the room. He was glad to see that the boy was already awake and he wouldn't have to kick his ass out of bed again.

He immediately frowned when he saw that the Eren was not alone. Petra was sitting across from him, smiling and laughing at something he had said. Levi wasn't sure why, but seeing the two being so friendly rubbed him the wrong way.

It really annoyed him that Eren was smiling and laughing too. Usually the boy was more reserved around people that weren't Armin or Mikasa. In fact, most people thought that the boy was unapproachable, so why was this girl any different?

_So what, the stupid brat got himself a little girlfriend. Maybe he won't be jacking off all night anymore. Why should I give two shits?_

He must have had a particularly scary expression on his face, because everyone who passed by his table started walking a little faster once they saw him.

When Petra wiped a crumb from the corner of Eren's mouth, Levi felt like throwing up. Didn't they know this was a public dining hall, not some lovey-dovey couple's café? He was glad that no one was sitting next to him, or they might have seen how white his knuckles were getting from gripping his coffee cup so tightly, or the way his other hand was balled into a fist, ready to punch anyone who even looked at him the wrong way.

Levi finally decided that he'd had enough and got up from the table, leaving his breakfast behind. Some powerful unseen force was pulling him in Eren's direction, and he wasn't going to ignore it. The other diners stopped dead in their tracks to let him pass, afraid that they would face his wrath for blocking the way.

When he arrived at their table, Petra immediately stopped smiling, putting on a serious expression and saluting him, "Sir! Good morning, sir! What brings you to our humble table?"

Eren choked on his coffee and started coughing uncontrollably, trying to clear the substance from his windpipe. He wasn't prepared to face the Corporal this early in the morning, and he certainly hadn't been expecting him to just show up. Although Eren was in a silent state of panic, Petra remained as stiff as a statue.

Levi ignored her. He wasn't in the mood for stupid questions from stupid little girls. Instead he looked at Eren, who had finally coughed up the coffee from his lungs. His expression was one of pure annoyance, and Eren wished he knew what he'd done to have it cast in his direction.

Levi spoke in an authoritative tone, "Jaeger. I want you to spend extra time training today, so get off your ass and get started. The weapons and targets are all set up in the courtyard behind the castle."

Eren looked taken aback at first, then slightly irritated. "Um, might I ask why I have to start before everyone else, sir?"

Levi shot him a dirty look, making the boy regret asking such a thing. "Because I said so, and I'm your superior officer. If you keep asking stupid questions I'll kick your ass. Got it, brat?"

Eren grumbled under his breath, careful not to let the older man hear. Why was he always picking on him? First he made him clean half the castle and now he wanted him to bust his ass training. He sighed and decided that it wasn't worth the trouble to protest. He nodded and rose from the table.

"Yes, sir. I'll get started right away," he said, head hanging in defeat.

Levi could tell Eren was none too happy with those orders by the way he stormed off to make his way out of the huge front doors to begin training. He really hadn't meant to ruin the boy's day, but he just couldn't stomach watching the sickening display that had been unfolding before his eyes.

_Speaking of the little wench…_

He watched Petra start to get up from the table. There was no way Levi was going to let her off that easy.

"Where do you think you're going, Ral?

The redhead froze. "Oh! Um, I figured I'd get an early start on my training, too. I sure could use the practice. I'm still really bad at hitting the weak spot on the taller classes of titans."

Levi gave her a look that said _like hell you are. _He wasn't about to let the girl be alone with Eren.

_I shouldn't care about them being together, so why does it irritate me so?_

Levi came to the conclusion that he didn't like it when people tried to take things that were his. He had volunteered look after Eren, and therefore that made the boy his responsibility, no one else's. Eren was an untrained dog, and Levi was his master. It was his job to discipline him and make him a soldier worth being on his personal squad. He wasn't about to let anyone interfere with his plans, especially not this girl.

"No. You will begin your training at the same time as everyone else. Is that clear?"

Petra looked completely confused. Usually when someone put extra effort into their training they were praised. Although she wanted to protest, she had been trained not to question orders and reluctantly sat back down at the table. Levi was glad to see that unlike Eren, this girl was obedient.

Satisfied with the way he'd handled the situation, Levi returned to his table and sipped his coffee, silently celebrating his victory.

* * *

_Ugh! What the hell? What the fuck is his problem?! What did I do now? Why am I out here busting my ass all by myself?_

Eren cleanly cut through a cardboard titan, hitting the nape on his first try. This was such a waste of time to him. He already knew how to take down titans. He'd expected to learn something new by now. He wanted to learn how to control his inner Titan and harness its immense strength to aid in humanity's struggle. How was he ever going to live up to the monumental task of being humanity's trump card if he lost himself every time he transformed?

He threw down his blades in frustration. He'd been at it for an hour already and he was bored out of his mind. He really wasn't in the mood to continue.

_I could just sneak off and ride to the halfway point to wait for Armin. But what if the Corporal finds out?_

He remembered that Armin had specifically told him to ask for permission before heading out to meet him, but Eren found that he really didn't care if he had permission or not. He was sick of being tied down by rules and regulations. Plus, he refused to ask for that bastard's permission after he'd treated Eren like a child. It was time to do what he wanted, consequences be damned.

Eren picked up his discarded blades and slid them back into their holsters. He wasn't about to venture into the forest unarmed. Although the squad hadn't run into any wildlife on their way to the castle, Eren knew that bears and mountain lions were indigenous to this particular area. It was definitely better to be safe than sorry.

He quickly glanced around, making sure that he was completely alone before making his way to the stables.

Phoenix was happily munching on a mouthful of hay in the small corral. The horses had spent the night in stalls inside the stable and the person on animal care-taking duty had let them out that morning for some exercise. Her ears perked up when she heard the sound of footsteps. She trotted over to Eren when he came up to the fence, instantly recognizing him and hoping for a sugar cube or carrot. Eren chuckled when she nudged him with her nose, sniffing his pockets and looking for treats.

"Sorry girl, I forgot to bring you something today. I promise to bring you a whole bunch of sugar cubes tomorrow," he said, patting her nose gently.

Phoenix just snorted in response and began munching on a particularly green patch of grass at his feet. Eren patted her neck and walked into the stable, looking for a saddle and bridle. He'd never learned to ride bareback and he wasn't going to try and learn now. He frowned when he realized that all of the riding equipment had been locked up in the stable's storage closet to deter thieves. There was no way he was going to be able to open the giant padlock without a key, and without orders from an officer the animal caretaker wouldn't open it for him.

The brunette racked his brain for a solution. It was then that he heard loud snoring coming from one of the horse stalls. He peeked into the stall, spotting the caretaker sound asleep on a pile of hay. There hadn't been anything that needed his immediate attention so he'd decided that the stables were a great place to take a nap. Eren couldn't believe his luck. He could steal the key and the man would never know.

He tip toed over to the man until he was standing over him. He was an older fellow with thinning grey hair and a long scraggly beard that was filled with hay. His snoring was loud enough to wake the dead and Eren hoped that that meant he was in a deep sleep. He spotted the key ring hanging from his belt and devised a plan. He had no idea what key would open the stable storage, so he would just have to take the whole thing while being as quiet as possible. He reached down to try and unhook it from the man's belt, nearly having a heart attack when the fellow grumbled and rolled over on his side, scratching his nose and yawning. Eren breathed a sigh of relief when the man went straight back to sleep, not noticing the boy hovering over him.

When he was sure it was safe, he once again began unhooking the key ring from the old man's belt, careful not to fall on him and wake him up. If he was caught now, it was all over. He'd be tossed in the dungeon for months. He took a deep breath and concentrated on the task at hand. After a minute of struggling the key ring came off and Eren breathed a sigh of relief. He carefully tip toed out of the stall and back to the storage room door.

He fumbled with the keys and searched for one that looked like it might fit into the padlock. They all looked nearly identical, and Eren knew that this wasn't going to be as easy as he thought. There were ten keys in all, and he began trying them out one by one, jiggling them and getting more and more frustrated when they failed to open it. Once he got to the last key he feared that it wouldn't work and he'd have gone through all the trouble for nothing. Maybe the caretaker didn't even have the right key. He certainly hoped that that wasn't the case.

Deciding to give it a shot anyway, Eren nervously slipped the key into the padlock and turned it, nearly jumping for joy when the lock released with a click. He removed the key and stuffed the key ring into his pocket. He slid open the wooden door and looked inside. Sure enough, there was all the riding equipment that the Recon Corps owned inside. He spotted a saddle that seemed like it would fit, cursing at its weight as he heaved it over his shoulder. He selected a medium sized bridle and a small green blanket to place under the saddle before sliding the door closed again. He then locked it, making sure it was secure. He didn't want the caretaker to be held responsible if someone decided to loot the equipment because Eren left the door wide open.

He put down the equipment and tip toed back over to the caretaker to replace the key ring on the man's belt. He was still snoring loudly and didn't respond at all. Eren heaved the heavy leather saddle back over his shoulder and exited the stables.

He walked over to the corral gate and unlatched it. He pushed it open and looked around for Phoenix. She was still happily munching on the patch of green grass from earlier, oblivious to him. He walked up to her slowly so that he wouldn't startle her. The chestnut mare noticed him approaching her with the saddle and walked over to him. She knew when it was time for a ride and eagerly anticipated the exercise. The other horses were either drinking from the trough or munching on hay, too busy to pay the boy any mind. Only Onyx seemed to take notice of him, focusing on the brunette with his grey eyes that eerily resembled Levi's. It was as if the other man was watching him.

Eren ignored it, placing the soft green blanket on Phoenix's back to protect her from the hard leather of the saddle. He gently placed the saddle on top of the blanket and began buckling the straps under her stomach. Once he finished saddling her he slipped the bridle over her nose and ears and placed the bit in her mouth. He double checked the saddle, making sure it wasn't too tight before leading her out of the corral, closing and latching the gate behind him. Onyx trotted over to the gate, whinnying and pawing at the ground.

Eren walked over to the horse and attempted to calm him down. He patted his nose and whispered, "Shh, it's ok boy. Please be quiet, ok? You're going to get me in trouble."

The black stallion seemed to understand, quieting down and watching as the brunette walked back over to his mount.

Eren carefully climbed up into the saddle and tried to get comfortable. He winced a bit as his legs grew accustomed to the width of a horse once again. He hadn't ridden in quite a while until yesterday, and after the long trip his legs had become incredibly sore. It didn't help that he'd been on his feet almost all day cleaning after they arrived at the castle, further straining his aching limbs. He did his best to ignore the pain and urged Phoenix to move with his heels.

Since it was still quite a while before the meeting time, he let Phoenix walk at a comfortable pace while he took in the scenery.

When he entered the forest he realized just how beautiful it was. It was full of verdant plant life; trees, grass, flowers. All of them were in bloom, perfuming the air with their sweet scent. The birds were greeting the day with their cheerful songs, and Eren smiled when he saw a brown cottontail rabbit run across the forest's dirt path and into the tall grass on the other side. He'd had no idea what they had missed yesterday by rushing through. He supposed it wasn't the Recon Corps job to stop and smell the roses, but that didn't matter now. In truth he felt somewhat guilty for sneaking off and stealing equipment, but he just couldn't miss out on an opportunity to meet up with Armin. He could only hope that the Recon Corps' need for his titan powers would keep Levi from kicking him out of the squad permanently.

After almost an hour of walking, the two finally arrived at the stream, which Eren assumed was the halfway point because it was located almost exactly halfway between the outer wall and the castle. He dismounted and led Phoenix to the stream, allowing her to drink and rest a bit while they waited. He patted his jacket pocket, feeling the letter that he'd stuffed in it yesterday. Having nothing better to do, he took it out and carefully read it again. He wondered just what Armin had wanted to deliver to him so badly that he'd travel out this far. Normally he would have told the blonde that it wasn't worth the long trip and that he could just send it through the mail, but he was dying to see his childhood friend.

He stuffed the paper back into his jacket and lay back against a large rock facing the stream. The early morning sun warmed his skin and a light summer breeze ruffled his hair. The steady flow of the stream was a soothing sound, and Eren relaxed his body, allowing himself to take in the beauty of the forest.

It didn't take long for him to grow bored with the beauty of nature. He hated how slowly time seemed to pass when he was anticipating something. He'd felt much the same way when he was waiting to find out if he'd been accepted into the military. Every minute seemed to pass agonizingly slow, and Eren found himself struggling to stay awake. He knew falling asleep in the middle of the woods was never a good idea, but his eyelids just kept getting heavier and heavier despite his efforts to keep them open. After a few minutes of fighting it, exhaustion finally overtook the brunette, and he slipped into blissful slumber.

* * *

Armin Arlert was not a brave person, but despite his reservations about traveling beyond the walls, he rode into the great forest at sunrise, taking care not to wake any of his comrades. He knew it was incredibly foolish to travel alone these days, but he couldn't risk being discovered by the higher-ups, and two missing soldiers were definitely more suspicious than one. He'd grabbed all the necessary supplies for his journey, along with Eren's gift, before departing.

He'd borrowed a horse from a private stable in town instead of taking of the military's to avoid alerting anyone to his absence. It was definitely the biggest horse he'd ever seen, let alone ridden. He'd almost wanted to request a different one, but he was eager to get out of town before anyone noticed he was absent from breakfast. The blonde had to grab a stepladder just to climb into the saddle, much to his embarrassment. Sometimes he really hated being short.

It hadn't been easy to get past the guards patrolling the walls. He'd had to time his departure perfectly to catch them switching shifts. Luckily he was able to blend in with a departing trade caravan, using his hooded cloak to cover his face. Once he was clear of the gates and out of the guard's line of sight, he lowered his hood and urged his horse in the direction of the forest. Unfortunately he failed to notice that he was being followed the entire time.

It was incredibly nerve-wracking to be outside of the walls that had protected and sheltered him for his entire life. He knew that titans could appear at any time, and that one lightly armed boy would make easy prey. If someone had told him a year ago that he would be making this journey he would have laughed and called them crazy. He never imagined that he could muster up the courage to venture beyond the walls. It was true that he had always dreamed of seeing the outside world, but he always thought that it would remain just that; a dream.

That was, until he met Eren Jaeger. The boy was everything that Armin wasn't; brave, ambitious, strong and determined. He inspired Armin to actually get up and do something to change their lives instead of sitting around waiting for it happen. He knew he'd never be as brave as Eren, but he would gladly support him in any way possible.

During the trial Armin had felt completely helpless. There was his best friend since childhood, his life in the hands of complete strangers, chained like a dog, and there was nothing Armin could do. He watched in horror as Eren was beaten within an inch of his life by the very man trying to defend him, and he'd done nothing. Instead, he'd had to hold Mikasa back from interfering and making things worse. At least she'd been willing to risk life and limb to save Eren, which was more than he could say.

That's why he had taken it upon himself to deliver Eren's gift personally, to prove that he was a devoted friend and that he'd do anything for the brunette.

The entire 104th training squad had pitched in to make Eren a gift basket to show him that he had not been forgotten, and that they had faith in him. Sasha and (a protesting and huffy) Jean had baked blueberry muffins, which was certainly something special, considering blueberries were in extremely short supply these days. It had taken almost all of their combined weekly earnings to buy just enough for the recipe. Armin had remembered that Eren was very fond of the sweet berries when they were kids, and he hoped that he still enjoyed them.

Mikasa had cut off a piece of her scarf to contribute, much to Armin's dismay. He knew the garment was precious to her, but she couldn't be persuaded to give him anything else. She was under the impression that she would be accompanying Armin to deliver the gift. Armin felt guilty for deceiving her, but he just couldn't risk her having an emotional breakdown when she saw Eren. He silently promised to make it up to her later.

Reiner, Bertholdt and Annie had all pitched in to buy a bottle of wine, although Armin was positive that Eren had never shown any interest in alcohol. He went along with it since they had already gone through the trouble of locating a wine peddler willing to sell to minors. Connie had tossed in some oil for weapon cleaning, and Christa sewed a handkerchief with the Recon Corp's symbol on the front and back. Together their gifts had been placed into a wicker basket and were ready to deliver.

Armin struggled to keep the basket balanced between his legs as he rode into the forest, every bump threatening to dislodge it and spill its contents on the ground. The ride had been uneventful so far, but every so often he swore that he could hear a branch snap or leaves rustle behind him. His paranoia was getting the better of him, and he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being followed. Every time he glanced behind him he saw nothing, so he eventually just chalked it up to the wind.

He was thankful when he could finally see the stream in the distance, marking the halfway point on his journey. Along the stream's bank was a small clearing lying beneath a great weeping willow. As he entered the clearing he was extremely surprised to see Eren asleep, his back laying against a particularly uncomfortable looking rock. Nonetheless, the brunette looked extremely peaceful and Armin almost hated to wake him.

He dismounted, careful not to spill the basket, and snuck over to the spot Eren was sleeping in. He sat the basket down and knelt to the ground beside the other boy, careful not to make too much noise and jolt him awake. Armin couldn't help but smile when he saw the serene expression on the brunette's face. All too often those prominent eyebrows were furrowed in anger or distress, and it was nice to see them relaxed for once.

He brushed a few strands of hair out of the boy's face. He was really happy to see his best friend so peaceful, so free from all the worries of the world. He didn't realize that the hair had tickled Eren's nose, causing him to rub the spot and slowly open his eyes.

* * *

Eren had felt something brush against his hair, and slowly opened his eyes, expecting to see a fly or some other manner of insect. His expressive turquoise eyes widened in shock when he saw Armin sitting next to him, looking rather embarrassed.

"Oh! Um, sorry Eren, I tried to keep the flies from waking you up, but I guess I did in the process," he lied to avoid telling him the truth, that he'd been fussing over him like a mother hen.

Eren's expression turned from one of surprise to one of pure joy as he smiled and stretched, trying to stifle a yawn. "Don't worry about it, I shouldn't have fallen asleep here anyway. I'm just glad I didn't get eaten by a bear or something," he said, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

Armin laughed, "Well, that makes two of us. I can't believe how peaceful this forest is. Everything I've read about forests says that they are absolutely teeming with wildlife. Anyway, I'm glad you decided to meet me halfway. I'm not sure I could find the castle on my own."

Eren nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'm glad I came out here too. I really needed a break from the Crazy Corps," he said with a laugh. "Anyway, it's really good to see you, Armin. I've missed you guys so much, you don't even know."

Armin smiled sadly. "We've missed you too, Eren, especially me and Mikasa. It just isn't the same without you." Realizing that the atmosphere was quickly turning melancholy, Armin decided to change the subject. "Oh! Right. I have something to give you, in fact it's the main reason I came out here." He reached over and grabbed the basket, shyly handing it over to Eren, feeling heat rush to his cheeks, reddening them slightly. "Um, this is from all of us. The 104th training squad, I mean."

Eren looked taken aback at the basket full of goodies as he placed it in his lap. No one ever gave him gifts, not even on his birthday, so he wasn't quite sure what to say at the moment.

"Wow, you guys really outdid yourselves, but you didn't have to come all the way out here just for this," he said, eyes sparkling with curiosity as he looked upon the gift.

Armin ignored his last statement, smiling. "Well, go ahead, see what's in there," he said, encouraging Eren to open it. Eren nodded, opening one of the basket flaps and pulling out a small cloth wrapped with a red bow. He smelled the familiar aroma of blueberries through the thin material and his mouth began to water. He eagerly untied the bow and opened the cloth to reveal several rather delicious looking muffins. He had to stop himself from shoving them into his mouth right away.

Armin smiled at Eren's reaction. It seemed he still loved blueberries after all. "Those are from Sasha and Jean, well, mostly Sasha, but Jean helped buy the blueberries. You can eat them now if you want," he said, noticing the rumbling in Eren's stomach. The boy nodded, taking a huge bite out of the biggest muffin and nearly crying from how good they tasted. They were moist and sweet, with a hint of tartness from the blueberries. After devouring three muffins he moved on to the next gift in the basket. It was a rather large bottle of red wine, and Eren was careful not to break it as he took it out.

"That's from Reiner, Bertholdt and Annie. I wanted to tell them that you really don't drink, but they had gone through so much trouble." Eren eyed the red liquid sloshing around the bottle with curiosity. "Well, I'll give it a try later. Don't wanna dull my senses." Armin nodded in agreement as he watched Eren put the bottle down and pull out the next gift. He recognized the small bottle as weapon cleaning oil. "Great! I've been needing to buy a new bottle, but I haven't had the time," he said, stuffing it into his jacket pocket. He then pulled out a small handkerchief, admiring the detail in the embroidery.

"The oil is from Connie and the handkerchief is from Christa. I had no idea she was so good at sewing!" said Armin, his eyes lighting up as he remembered watching the girl expertly turning an ordinary piece of fabric into a masterpiece. Eren folded the cloth and gently placed it into his shirt pocket before pulling out the next gift.

It was a small red piece of cloth that Eren immediately recognized as part of Mikasa's scarf.

He looked over at Armin with a look of surprise and frustration. "Why did she cut it like that? She never goes anywhere without that scarf, and now it's ruined because of me," he said, a look of pure consternation crossing his features. Armin shook his head. "Don't be angry with her, Eren. I tried to tell her you wouldn't want her to cut it, but she wouldn't listen. She misses you so much. I know deep down she's happy that you got to join the Recon Corps like you always wanted, even if she constantly talks about coming to "rescue" you," he said with a fake, forced laugh to lighten the mood.

Eren clutched the piece of scarf to his chest. "Mikasa, you idiot," he whispered to himself, hoping Armin didn't hear. The blonde walked over to the basket and took out another item. "This is the last thing, a gift from me. I hope you like it," he said, handing over a small, square package wrapped in plain brown packing paper tied with a string. Eren took the package, giving his friend a questioning look. Armin just smiled, waiting for him to open it. He untied the string and carefully tore the corner of the wrapping paper so that he wouldn't damage its contents. When he saw a familiar leather-bound book cover underneath he gave his friend a look of utter disbelief.

It was the book that Armin always had with him, ever since they were kids. The very book that contained rare knowledge of the outside world. The same book that had fueled his desire to see for himself just what was beyond the walls keeping humanity contained. The book that had brought them together and forged an everlasting bond of friendship. It was Armin's most treasured possession, and Eren was at a loss for words when he realized that it was being given to him as a present.

"Armin, I can't take this. It means too much to you," he said, handing the book back to the blonde.

Armin immediately handed it back, small tears forming in his eyes as he tried not to break down. "That's exactly why I want you to have it, Eren, so that you can see just how much you mean to me, to everyone. I want you to always remember your dream of seeing the world beyond the walls. I want you to read it every day so that you can know what to expect when you go out on missions. You can make notes about what you see, and when you visit us again we can all read it together." Tears were streaming down Armin's face despite his effort to keep them contained. He knew that everyday his friend would risk death on the battlefield, and he may very well never see him again. He tried his best to keep a smile on his face, despite the tears. He didn't want to appear weak in front of Eren, but it was becoming too difficult to keep his emotions in check.

Eren had always hated seeing Armin cry, even if it had been a rather common occurrence when they were younger. It was heart wrenching to see the boy in so much pain, tears staining his cheeks and his chest heaving with sobs. The brunette got to his feet, setting the book on top of the basket and walking over to his friend. He didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around the fragile boy, pulling him into a comforting embrace. Armin was like a little brother to him, and consoling him came naturally. Armin clutched the back of Eren's jacket, sobbing into the taller boy's shoulder. Eren just patted the blonde's head until he finally began to calm down.

"I-I'm s-so sorry, Eren. I didn't mean to b-break down like that. I just miss you so much," he said, sniffling and using his sleeve to wipe away the built up tears and mucus leaking from his nose. He broke away from the embrace, noticing the giant wet spot on Eren's shoulder. "Oh no, I got your shirt all wet and snotty. I'm so sorry!"

Eren didn't seem to care in the slightest. "It's fine. Are you ok now, Armin? I didn't mean to upset you," he said in an apologetic tone, his ocean colored eyes full of concern. Armin nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine *sniff*, it's not your fault. I just didn't expect to get that worked up. I didn't bring Mikasa because I thought she'd get too emotional, and now look at me, haha." Eren's eyes were still full of concern. He didn't want to refuse the gift, but it just didn't feel right taking Armin's precious treasure.

"Hey Armin, what if I just borrow the book? That way we can both enjoy it," he said with a genuine smile. Armin contemplated his statement for a moment before nodding in agreement. They'd always shared the book as kids, so it seemed like a good idea to continue the tradition. Besides, it gave him hope that he would indeed be visiting Eren again.

Eren was relieved that his friend seemed to have regained his composure. The blonde pulled a small pocket watch out of his jacket and checked the time. "Hey, Eren, it's almost three, don't you think you should be heading back? I mean, I'd love to catch up more, but I know you have training."

Eren's face scrunched in annoyance. As much as he was loathe to admit it, he knew that Armin was right, but he really wasn't in any hurry to get back to the castle and receive the punishment that was sure to come for disobeying orders. Surely his absence had been noted by now, and Levi was probably interrogating the other squad members as to his whereabouts. He was certain that he would not be training for a while if he was rotting in the dungeons. He didn't Armin to figure out that he'd left without permission, so he did his best to act like everything was fine.

"Oh yeah! You're right. I'd better get back before someone comes looking for me, haha," he said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. He was suddenly struck with an idea. "Hey, why don't you come back with me and stay a few days? I'm sure there's plenty of guest rooms in the castle, and I can request an escort for you on your journey back," he said enthusiastically. Armin's eyes lit up at the suggestion.

"Wow! Really? That would be great! I would love to see where the Recon Corps has set up their base of operations," he said, eyes sparkling with excitement. There was no way Eren could say no to those puppy dog eyes. "Yup! We can head there now. Go ahead and mount up and I'll lead the way."

Armin vehemently nodded and ran back to where he'd tied his horse, leaving Eren alone in the clearing. As he walked back over to Phoenix he heard the distinct sound of a tree branch snapping. It was an unnerving sound when you were surrounded by thick stretches of trees that could conceal any hidden danger. His hands instinctively went to his holstered blades, removing them slowly. He slowed his breathing and listened, trying to pick up on any subtle sounds of movement. When he heard nothing he relaxed, lowering his blades but still on high alert, careful not to let his guard down completely.

It was then that he heard a high pitched shriek that chilled him to the bone.

_Armin! Something's happened!_

Eren finally put his 3D gear to use and flew in the direction of the scream, sailing through the trees with a burst of speed, his heart pounding in his chest. He'd only let the boy out of his sight for a few seconds, but he felt extremely guilty still knowing that whatever was happening to his friend could have been prevented if he hadn't left his side.

It didn't take him long to find Armin, and what he saw when he landed sent a rush of fear and rage surging through his veins.

There was the blonde, struggling helplessly as a hooded figure held a knife against his throat.

"Not another step or I'll cut his neck," said the hooded figure in a gruff, angry voice that was clearly masculine.

For the second time in his life since his mother's death, Eren Jaeger felt completely helpless.

* * *

Phew! Ok! Next chapter shouldn't take long to be finished and posted! Don't kill me!


	7. Chapter 7

Hello lovelies! Thanks so much for sticking with this story, it makes me so happy to read your reviews and see those follows/favorites in my inbox.

To answer some questions/concerns...

Yes, I do believe that Mikasa and some others join the Recon Corps. Like I said, I've only watched the anime. I will read the manga eventually.I do have plans for Mikasa…you don't think she'd just sit around after Armin snuck off like that, do you? ;)

For now just consider this an AU. Oh, and I changed Irvin's name to Erwin, to stick with the translated names.

Please read and enjoy!

* * *

Levi was feeling rather satisfied with the way his morning had gone. He always found himself feeling a little smug after putting someone in their place, and it was even better when that someone had been a thorn in his side since he'd entered the dining hall that morning. Petra Ral was now running laps around the castle and wouldn't be done until the early evening. Maybe she would get the hint that trying to take things that belonged to him was not in her best interest after some rigorous exercise.

After he had finished his second cup of coffee Levi snuck into the kitchens to pilfer a carrot for Onyx. Well, more like waltzed right in and took whatever he damn well pleased without a second thought. Although the kitchens were technically off limits to anyone but the cooks, no one dared to tell him to leave. The cook on duty quickly busied himself with preparing the day's lunch, pretending not to see the thievery.

In truth Levi was just stalling to avoid having to oversee his squad's training. It was dreadfully boring watching the same soldiers make the same mistakes day in and day out despite his excellent coaching. It was as if they were incapable of following the simplest of instructions and it pissed him off to have to babysit imbeciles.

There was only one person who didn't piss him off royally or absolutely bore him to tears these days.

He would much rather be out killing titans or devising battle strategies, but Erwin had insisted that he step up as squad leader and monitor his team's progress. As much as Levi was loathe to admit it, if there was one person who could defeat him in one on one combat in the blink of an eye, it was Erwin. The man always had a volatile aura surrounding him, and Levi valued his life enough to not question his orders.

It was a good thing, then, that Erwin was absent that day.

To get out of his babysitting duties he'd pretended to have some urgent matter that needed his immediate attention at the stables. There he found Onyx waiting, eager for his morning treat. Levi pulled out the carrot and offered it to the hungry horse who crunched it up greedily. Spending time with Onyx always calmed his nerves and put him in a better mood. The animal had a way of seemingly understanding his troubles without saying a word and comforted him without expecting anything in return (besides the occasional carrot or sugar cube).

Their partnership had begun when Levi first joined the military. The higher-ups had issued one horse to each soldier for mounted combat training, and Levi had been assigned to an unremarkable brown gelding that came from the military's breeding program. He hadn't particularly cared what horse he was to ride, being more eager to try his hand at being part of the cavalry than anything. He learned to balance a weapon while riding and perfected the art of using his 3D maneuver gear to latch onto a titan from horseback.

*flashback*

One day he'd been riding through town to depart on his latest mission when he'd witnessed a rather inept stable hand struggling to control an ill tempered black stallion (and failing). The beast continuously reared up and threatened to mercilessly trample the boy, tugging at the rope around its neck and trying its best to get free. It was rather skinny and malnourished looking and Levi concluded that it must have been a wild horse that the owner had somehow captured outside the walls. He'd seen horses like this one before, all captured and sold for a pretty penny to the military.

What caught his attention the most was the fierce look in the beast's grey eyes; eyes that matched his own.

Another man, a rather large and burly fellow, came out of the stables with a cruel looking whip in hand. The man cracked the whip behind the horse, striking terror into the beast, who reared up once more, knocking the stunned stable boy over and galloping into the open corral. The burly man followed it angrily, cursing out loud and ignoring his downed companion. He cracked the whip once more, this time landing a direct hit on the horse's flank, causing it to scream in pain. Blood trickled from the cut as the frightened animal desperately looked for an escape.

The man, satisfied with his work, let out a chuckle. "Stupid animal, that'll teach ya to fuck with me."

He slowly approached the terrified horse, attempting to grab the free end of the rope around its neck, cursing when it slipped out of his reach as the horse backed itself into a corner, rearing up once more.

Before he realized it, Levi was heading in the direction of the stables. He just couldn't sit back and watch the sickening display of cruelty any longer. Erwin had been accompanying him and tried to talk him out of getting involved.

"Levi! Stay out of it. It's none of your concern," he shouted, vehemently trying to get through to the other man. Levi ignored him, however, approaching the downed stable hand who was picking himself up off the ground. "Boy, tell me, is that horse for sale?" he demanded, pointing to the ebony stallion and causing the frightened stable hand to look at him as if he'd grown another head. Before he could answer, however, the whip-wielding man let out a hearty laugh, causing Levi to furrow his brow in annoyance.

"Haha! You got a death wish, son? This horse is the devil's steed, I tell ya. Besides, even if he was for sale, we was plannin' to breed him. He's a fine specimen and the price he'd fetch at market is more than a grunt like you makes in a year, harhar," he said, wrestling with the horse now that he'd grabbed on to the other end of the rope.

He immediately stopped laughing when the cold steel of a blade rested against his neck.

"H-hey! What the fuck?!" he choked out, nearly pissing himself with fright.

Levi gave him a look that could make the devil himself run with his tail between his legs. "Is that so? Well then I'll just have to take him by force. You're clearly an idiot who has no idea how to properly handle a horse. Surely you wouldn't inflict wounds on such a fine specimen if you really intended for him to be sold. He's worth nothing to you as he is now, and you know it. You're just trying to bullshit me, and for that I'll be taking him for free."

"Why you little piece of-" the man's insult was cut off by the blunt edge Levi's blade being pressed deeper against his neck, making it difficult for him to breathe. "Ugh! Fine! Take the damn beast! Just let me go!" he pleaded, looking rather cowardly and disgusting. Satisfied with the man's answer, Levi lowered his blade, allowing the man to breathe again. He shoved the rope into Levi's hands without a word before running off to change his now soiled undergarments.

Levi was glad to be rid of the coward and turned his attention to the horse that was now his responsibility. It had finally calmed down when the man wielding the whip had gone, and was breathing heavily to regain its strength. Its coat was pitch black and glistened in the midday sun, its flanks soaked with sweat and its mane long and flowing despite never having been touched by human hands. Its grey eyes were still full of fear and he reared up when Levi tried to approach him, threatening to bring down its front hooves on his head. Although the horse towered over his own small stature, he didn't let that deter him from attempting to tame the beast.

The raven-haired man pulled on the rope, forcing the horse back down on all fours. He never broke eye contact with the beast, doing his best to get the point across that he was in charge, and that the horse would submit to him. After a few more unsuccessful attempts to trample the man, the stallion finally relented, exhaustion overtaking it. It hung its head in defeat, lightly pawing at the ground in irritation.

Levi hesitated a moment before extending his hand and letting the horse smell it and get acquainted. Half expecting to get his fingers bitten off, Levi was pleasantly surprised when the horse just sniffed his hand. He dared to take it a step further and pat the soft velvety nose. The horse didn't seem to mind, so he continued to do so, calming the animal so that its breathing had returned to normal.

Levi honestly had no idea why he'd intervened. Maybe it was because he knew the feeling of being ripped out of his home and placed in unfamiliar surroundings with people who expected you to follow orders without question. Maybe it was because it hurt to see such a proud animal have its spirit completely broken. Whatever the case, he was now stuck with the unruly horse, but he vowed to do his best to tame the beast without turning it into a shell of its former self.

He hadn't realized that Erwin had been watching the entire escapade, and was now looking at him with a mixture of frustration and admiration. He was frustrated that Levi had ignored his orders, but he admired the guts and sheer willpower that he displayed when dealing with the stable hands and the headstrong horse. He sighed, deciding that instead of scolding the boy, he would give him advice.

"Levi, you know that it's going to take time for that beast to be suitable for riding, let alone be taken into combat. If you're going to attempt to break him, I won't stop you, but I will not have that horse on my cavalry until you can prove to me that you can keep him under control. His feed and housing expenses will come out of your salary. And you'll also pay to have his wound treated. Understood?"

Levi didn't look at the man, but nodded in agreement. When he looked into the horse's eyes once more, he could have sworn that it gave him an almost grateful look.

"I'll call you …Onyx. It suits you," he said, quiet enough that only the two of them could hear. The horse snorted in agreement.

*end flashback*

Levi was suddenly pulled out of his trip down memory lane when he heard someone call his name. He knew that upbeat, bubbly voice anywhere. He turned around to see Hanji running up him, stopping when she was a few feet away, bending over to catch her breath before finally being able to talk.

"C-corporal Levi, sir! I'm so glad I found you! I have urgent news!" she said, huffing.

Levi raised a thin eyebrow in curiosity. "Yes, Hanji? What is so important that you're out here bothering me instead of researching the captive titans?" He was giving her a look of pure irritation at having been interrupted. True, he hadn't been doing anything but feeding Onyx and reminiscing, but still.

The scientist hesitated for a moment, afraid that the Corporal wouldn't hesitate to kill the messenger of bad news. Deciding that it would be worse to bother the man without cause, she quickly blurted out, "It's Eren! He's gone missing!"

She winced when she saw a look of murderous rage appear on Levi's usually calm features.

"What do you mean, _Jaeger's missing_? I ordered him to train in the courtyard, is he not there?" he asked, already guessing the answer.

"No, the castle grounds have been thoroughly searched. The other squad members noticed his absence when they started their training and reported it me when they couldn't locate you or Commander Erwin," she said, being careful not to imply that Levi's absence was a problem. "And the caretaker reported one of his horses missing this afternoon. I suspect its Phoenix," she continued, pushing her glasses up her nose and trying to look professional.

Levi looked around the small corral, trying to locate the only chestnut colored horse that the Recon Corps owned. When he couldn't see her he cursed under his breath.

_That idiot. Did he run away because I pissed him off? How childish._

He snapped his head back in Hanji's direction. "Did anyone see him leave?" he demanded.

"No sir, but hoof prints were spotted heading in the direction of the forest," she said, as if it was an afterthought.

Levi shot her a volatile glare. "Why the hell didn't you tell me that sooner? It's obvious the brat stole a horse and headed into the forest. The question is why?" As he said this he was already heading towards to stables to retrieve a saddle. He didn't really care what Eren's reasoning was, if the brat had run away then Levi would be the one to bring him back and make sure it never happened again. He wasn't about to face punishment from his superiors for allowing the brat to escape.

Hanji racked her brain for an answer to his question, before a light bulb seemed to appear over her head. "Oh! He received a letter yesterday. Maybe whoever sent it wanted to meet with Eren!" she exclaimed, extremely satisfied with herself as if she had just solved the world's most difficult puzzle.

Levi ignored her, scanning the inside of the stables until his gaze came to rest upon the frantic old man wringing his hands in the corner. The man yelped when he saw Levi look at him, and covered his face with his hands.

"I-I'm so so sorry Corporal Levi, sir! I have no idea how the boy managed to steal a horse and riding equipment without me noticing! I had the key ring on me at all times, I swear!" the man whimpered, shrinking under Levi's unfaltering gaze.

"Oh, is that so? Next I suppose you're going to try and convince me that you were awake and on guard the entire time?" he said, bearing down upon the man with his threatening demeanor, outrage clearly evident on his face.

The man nearly pissed himself in fright. "Oh God! Please don't hurt me! I confess, I took a short nap in the stalls but I never thought that anyone could steal the keys right from under my nose without so much as a peep! He must have been incredibly stealthy, the thief!" He waved his hands wildy in exasperation.

Levi sighed. He was getting nowhere with this old fool, and he decided not to waste anymore time interrogating him. "I'll deal with you later. Saddle Onyx and have him ready to ride within the next five minutes and I may not cut you down where you stand." The statement chilled the old man to the bone. He barely had time to react before Levi was out the door again.

Hanji was languidly stretched across a pile of hay just outside the stable doors. Levi really didn't have the patience to chastise her for being a useless lump at the moment, so he just ignored her as he paced back and forth. After what seemed like an eternity the caretaker emerged, Onyx following behind him, saddled and ready to ride. Without so much as a thank you, Levi grabbed the saddle pommel and hoisted himself up on the horses back, yanking the reins from the old man's grasp.

"Hanji," he spoke, knowing that the woman was still lazing about without even looking, "I'll be riding to the forest entrance and then I'll be using my 3D gear from there. Follow behind me on horseback, we'll need a way to transport Jaeger in the event that he's been injured. Onyx will follow you."

Hanji saluted him, a rare show of respect from her. "Yes, Corporal! You can count on me!" she exclaimed, a cheesy grin appearing on her bespectacled face.

Levi had already left her in the dust by the time she finished her sentence.

He wasn't entirely sure why he felt like he had to hurry and find the brat. He was most likely goofing off or taking a nap somewhere, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something about this entire situation was wrong. A nagging voice in the back of his mind urged him on, heels digging into Onyx's sides none too gently, demanding that the horse pick up the pace until they were at a gallop.

It took him less than ten minutes to reach the edge of the forest going at the Onyx's maximum speed, and he gradually decreased the pace until the horse came to a stop. Onyx was incredibly strong and agile, but such a sudden burst of speed had left him winded, and his breaths were fast and shallow. Levi patted his neck in apology before sending out a grappling line into the nearest tree, catching it in the thick bark and using it to pull himself upwards and onto the highest branch. He looked up and saw a darkening sky, ominous clouds hanging low and heavy with rain, appearing ready to burst at any moment. Rain was usually considered a blessing, a gift of life to the land, but right now it would only hinder his progress.

He silently prayed that the coming storm would blow over quickly.

_I'm coming, Jaeger. You'd better not be dead already, because I want to kill you myself._

* * *

Eren's eyes were wide with shock and disbelief. Time seemed to slow to a standstill as he gazed upon the scene before him.

There was Armin, his best friend since childhood, being held hostage by a madman with a knife.

"Not another step, or I'll cut his neck!" the hooded man spat, the sharpened edge of his blade pressed firmly against the blonde's neck, enough to show that he definitely meant business, but not enough to puncture the delicate skin beneath. Armin was forced to hold his head still to avoid the blade's biting edge.

Eren heard the words, but wasn't able to process them in his mind. His instincts were beginning to take over, and although they pushed him to take action, he was frozen to the spot, terrified. A million thoughts were racing through his brain.

_Why is this happening? This doesn't make sense, everything was fine a minute ago!_

When he heard Armin let out a frightened yelp Eren snapped out of his stupor. He could feel searing anger gradually replacing his initial shock as he saw a look of pure terror flicker across Armin's eyes.

"Let him go! Who the fuck are you?!" Eren hissed more than spoke, his turquoise eyes full of fury as he sent a look of pure hatred in the hooded man's direction.

He was not expecting the man to laugh. Scream back at him, yes, remain silent maybe, but laugh, no.

It wasn't one of those laughs like you'd laugh at a joke; it was the kind of laugh of someone with mental instability, a laugh at nothing and everything at the same time.

"Let him go? Why would I do that? He's the key! Well, I suppose it could have been that dark haired bitch, but this one was much easier to catch." He laughed manically again, its high pitch ringing out in the stillness.

Eren visibly flinched at the man's insult to Mikasa, and any other time he would have defended her honor, but he had much more important things to worry about right now.

"Key? What the fuck are you talking about? Just who the fuck are you? _Answer me!_" Eren demanded, weapons raised, trying not to look into Armin's pleading eyes. He felt sympathy for the boy's plight, but he had to stay strong in his resolve.

The man made a _tsk _noise, clicking his tongue as if chiding a youngster.

"Ah ah ah! Naughty boy! Weapons down or I'll make him frown! Yes indeed, heehee!" the man pressed the knife deeper into Armin's skin, causing a few beads of blood to appear on the edge of the cold steel. Armin whimpered, the fresh cut stinging his sensitive neck.

Despite his pain, he vehemently protested the man's request.

"No! Eren! Don't do it! Whatever this guy wants can't be good! Just forget about me and go get help!"

Eren's heart sank. The man may have been batshit insane, but he was also deadly serious. Realizing that he had no choice (Armin's death was not an option), he reluctantly dropped his blades to the ground where they landed with a soft thud. Armin hung his head down (as much as he could, anyway), his body racked with silent sobs.

"There! Please, just don't hurt him anymore!" Eren pleaded, although were his turquoise eyes still full of wild fury. He hated begging, but he would do anything to spare Armin's life.

The man frowned, lessening the pressure of the blade against Armin's neck in compliance. He sighed in disappointment, as if Eren was ruining all of his fun.

"Can you at least tell me who you are, or why you're doing this?" Eren asked, desperate for some answers. If he knew the man's reasoning, maybe he could negotiate with him.

He didn't have high hopes.

The hooded figure just huffed like a child would when someone refused to play a game with them.

"Oh, you're no fun! No fun at all! I'll just have to call you Mr. Serious Pants!" He laughed again, the shrill sound ringing in Armin's ears, "besides, who I am isn't important, I'm merely a hired hand! A pawn in this grand game we call life!" he said in a sing-song voice. Eren could only see the lower half of the man's face under his hood , and right now he wore a grin that could put the Cheshire Cat to shame.

Eren had never witnessed true madness up until this moment. Sure, he'd seen soldiers break under the intense mental trauma that a titan attack could bring, but they had been perfectly normal human beings before. This man, however, must have been a special type of loony. He seemed to be humming a jaunty tune to himself, all the while never loosening his hold on Armin or the knife.

If he was going to convince the man to release Armin, he was going to have to try a different approach. Clearly demanding answers was getting him nowhere. He took a deep breath, trying to restrain himself from losing his temper.

"Please, just tell me what you want. If I can give it to you I swear I will, just please let my friend go" he said in his most sincere voice. The sentiment seemed to be lost on the man, much to Eren's dismay.

The hooded man pursed his lips in a sort of pout. "They said you were a monster! An aberration! All brawn and no brain! No control! Fangs and claws and all that. Liars!" the man snarled, his anger directed at whoever "they" were. Eren was thankful that he hadn't tightened his grip on the knife in his rage.

"You're a kitty cat! A lamb! All bark and no bite as it were. Please this and please that! You sound like a ninny. You just can't be the one! Those fools, I don't much appreciate being lied to!" His voice went up an octave with every word, and pretty soon he was shouting like a lunatic. Well, even more of a lunatic.

"You match the description, yes! But I see no fight left in those pretty eyes of yours. Too easy! Too easy! You gave up too easy! I wanted to see it! I don't like waiting! I don't care if it isn't part of the plan!" He was practically throwing a temper tantrum, and Eren was almost certain that if he hadn't been busy holding Armin hostage he would be kicking and screaming on the ground like a spoiled toddler.

"Always ruining my fun! All work and no play! No no no! This won't do! This won't do at all! No monsters here, only mice!"

If Armin hadn't been so worried about dying he would have been annoyed at the man screaming in his ear.

Eren had almost given up on trying to translate the man's ramblings until he heard the word "monster". It was as if a light had suddenly appeared in the darkness.

_Whoever "they" are must know about my titan powers. Has it become public knowledge? Or could this man have been in league with…_

"You're working for the military police, aren't you?!" Eren stated more than asked, "they have some kind of plot against me, is that it? Well, let Armin go then! If they want me dead I'll just come with you without a fight, I swear! So please, let him go!"

The man looked thoughtful for a moment. "Yes, yes, that was part of the plan. Bring back the monster boy using the hostage, yes. Paid me a pretty penny too, indeed, indeed! Going according to plan, yes."

Eren waited for the man to finish whatever train of thought he was on. He mumbled and whispered so low that only he could hear, as if having a conversation with some unseen entity. After a few minutes of seemingly arguing with himself, his mouth broke into a malicious grin.

"But what fun is sticking to the plan? Downright boring, it is! Gold, schmold! Got plenty of the stuff laying around. What I want is to see it!" He looked like a kid eager to open presents on Christmas morning.

Eren was more confused than he'd ever been, (and that was saying something) but he decided to humor the man. Keeping him talking meant keeping him distracted from the knife and Armin.

"What is it you want to see, exactly?" he questioned cautiously, unsure if he really wanted to know the answer.

The man seemed indignant that Eren even had to ask.

"It! It! You know, the "it" inside! I want you to bring it out! Stop teasing me! It isn't polite to keep a lady waiting!" He tapped his foot impatiently, as if he was waiting in a long line at the grocery store.

Eren ignored the fact that the man had just referred to himself as a lady and concentrated on his previous statement.

_The "it" inside? He must mean my titan powers. But I can't transform now! I might not be able to control my body and accidentally hurt Armin!_

He couldn't risk it. He would have to try his hand at rationalizing with the man.

_He's already proven to be unreasonable. I'll just have to convince him that I can't bring it out at will. Hopefully he doesn't know about the biting thing._

"Um…I'd love to show you "it" but…I can't really control when it happens…sorry" he said, feigning disappointment at not being able to grant the man's wish.

The man didn't seem dismayed, however. "Oh! If you can't bring it out by yourself, I can help! Yes! Always happy to help! Yes, yes!"

Eren had no idea what in the world the man meant by "help", but he knew it couldn't be anything good.

"Um, that's nice of you to offer, but I don't think you can help me. It just…happens sometimes, I can't explain it." He nervously rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think of a way to talk the man out of wanting to "help" him. Unfortunately for him, the man seemed dead set on it.

"Oh! But I can! Read all the reports, I did! It comes out when you're afraid, or when you're angry! Yes! Full of fury! Fury sparks the fire, yes! The fire brings it out! I can spark the fury, so it can spark the fire! Ehehehe!"

As he finished his sentence the man began digging his blade into Armin's neck slowly, crimson droplets running down the shining steel.

Armin began to scream.

Eren didn't know when he'd started running, but before he could reach his friend a blur of colors descended from the trees, landing behind the man silently. Before he could turn around and see what was behind him a blade pierced his shoulder, slicing through blood and sinew with ease to emerge right below his left collarbone.

It had all happened in the blink of an eye.

The hooded figure dropped the knife, shrieking like a banshee as he fell to the ground, clawing at his back, trying to remove the blade from his shoulder with one hand while trying to staunch the bleeding with the other.

Eren followed the length of the blade with his eyes, up past the hilt, finally resting his gaze on the owner of the weapon.

It was Levi. And he looked _furious._

Without a word the raven haired Corporal planted his foot square in man's back, between his shoulder blades. He braced himself against the man's spine as he retracted his blade, causing a torrent of blood to flow from the open wound onto the lush green grass.

The man had finally stopped screaming after a minute, whether it was due to blood loss or delirium wasn't clear. He was slumped over, clutching his wound with both hands, catching the free flowing blood as it trickled through his fingers.

Armin had at least had enough sense to run once the knife had been dropped, and now he was leaning against a tree for support. He couldn't stop shaking, adrenaline coursing through his veins, and he absentmindedly clutched the deep cut that the hooded man had inflicted on him. He was much too concerned with the scene playing out before him to worry about his own wounds, however.

It seemed like an eternity before Levi broke the uneasy silence. In reality, it had only been less than a minute since he'd pulled his blade from the hooded man.

"You. Tell me who you are and who you're working for, and maybe I won't separate your head from your shoulders."

Eren had never heard Levi sound so angry. Sure, he normally sounded irritated, but it was nothing compared the deadly tone he was using now.

The man only laughed weakly in response, coughing up a bit of blood in the process, spattering it across the ground. How anyone, even a lunatic, could laugh at a time like this, with a gaping hole in their torso, Eren didn't know. When he spoke it was in a hoarse, strained voice that somehow retained a hint of its previous mirth.

"Hehe, there he is, everybody's hero, the legendary Levi-Heichou! A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance! You're shorter than I thought you'd be." The man let out a maniacal laugh, wincing a bit at the strain it put on his wounds.

Eren couldn't tell if the man was delirious or not. It was really hard to tell with a psychopath.

Levi was far from amused. He sent a hard kick into the man's ribs, a few of them cracking audibly, sending him reeling onto his back. He struggled to breathe, the wind surely being knocked out of him from the blow.

It was the first time Eren had gotten a good look at the man's face. The hood had fallen back, revealing a young man, no older than his mid twenties, with dark red hair and crazed eyes the color of molten gold. Blood was dribbling down his chin as he continued his coughing fit.

_Well, he finally stopped laughing, at least._

Levi pressed the heel of his boot into the man's bruised ribs, causing him to hiss in pain.

"Laugh again and I'll cut your tongue out. Believe me when I say I am not in the mood for games right now." His words dripped with malice, and Eren was certainly glad that he wasn't on the receiving end of those threats.

The man's consciousness was fading fast, a glazed over look appearing in his eyes, and his breathing had become shallow and labored.

Hanji came riding into the clearing at a gallop, and Eren had to dive out of the way to avoid being ran over. She pulled the reins back hard, causing her horse to come to an almost screeching halt. She wasted no time in dismounting and hurrying to Levi's side, pushing up her glasses and trying not to appear totally disheveled.

Before she could speak Levi barked an order. "Hanji! Tend to this man's wounds. I need information from him and he's no use to me dead. Do whatever it takes to keep him alive."

Hanji nodded, wasting no time in nursing the man, doing her best to stop the bleeding with a small medical kit she pulled from her jacket. Levi left her to it, walking over to a stunned Armin and kneeling before the frightened boy.

"Arlert! How bad are your wounds? Do you need medical attention?" he asked, his voice laced with a genuine concern that took the blonde boy off guard.

Armin shook his head, removing his hand from his cut to show the older man. "It's nothing really," he said in a dismissive tone, "I'm fine."

Levi grabbed the boy's chin, turning his head to the side to get a better look at the wound. It was a deep cut, but with some ointment and a bandage it would heal in a few days at most.

"Very well. Put a bandage on it and keep it clean. You rode, here I assume?" Armin nodded and he continued, releasing the boys chin and standing back up, "Good, then mount up. You will follow us back to the castle. I'll figure out what to do with you once we get there."

Without a word Armin obeyed, heading in the direction of the tree where he'd hitched his horse.

Levi watched him leave, making sure no other hidden assassins waited in the bushes. Once he saw Armin return on his horse's back he immediately snapped his head in Eren's direction, his eyes narrowing in anger as he fixed his gaze on the brunette, causing him to jump at the sudden attention.

There were so many things he wanted to say at the moment, "thank you", "I'm sorry", "I owe you one", but the words all caught in his throat, refusing to become anything more than thoughts. He supposed any kind of sentiment would only further anger the older man anyway, so perhaps it was a good thing that he was suddenly mute.

He could only stand there, mouth slightly agape as Levi stalked over to him. Even if he'd wanted to run, his legs felt like jelly after his previous adrenaline rush, and he found himself glued to the spot.

He should have seen the punch coming, but his reflexes were slow on the uptake, and he had no time to defend himself. It hit him square in the gut, causing him to double over in pain.

He didn't blame Levi, really; this entire fiasco was all his fault after all. However, that didn't make it any less painful.

"Jaeger. You will mount up and follow Hanji and I back to the castle. We will discuss the repercussions of your actions there. If you value your life you will not disobey me this time." The words were cold and devoid of any kind of sympathy or compassion. Not that Eren had been expecting anything less from the man.

With that Levi returned to Hanji's side, demanding an update on the mystery man's condition.

"He's out of any immediate danger, for now. I've stopped the bleeding and applied antibiotic ointment to ward off an infection. He'll need professional medical attention soon" she reported, a serious tone overriding her usual playful one as she pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose.

"Good. Throw him on Onyx's back. Mind his chest; I'm certain I broke a few ribs. Take it slow on the way back, but do not lose sight of me. You are dismissed." Hanji saluted him before hoisting the unconscious man over her shoulder (her strength was surprising to Eren) and throwing him none too gently onto the horse's back.

Armin had finally recovered from his initial shock and immediately ran to his friend's side. He mentally kicked himself for not moving until now.

"Eren! Are you alright? It didn't look like the Corporal was holding back at all" he said, worry etched onto his delicate features. Eren was still reeling from the pain. An ugly purple bruise was beginning to form across his abdomen, and if it wasn't for his regenerative powers he would be extremely concerned that he was bleeding internally.

As always, he put on a brave front for Armin's sake, pretending that he didn't feel like vomiting up his organs at the moment.

"Ah, yeah. I'm fine. What about you? Did he get the knife in deep?" Eren's voice was hoarse but still full of concern.

"No, it just left a little cut." His eyes welled up with tears, "Eren, I'm so sorry! I should have realized that I was being followed but I just brushed off all the signs. This is all my fault…I'm so sorry…" he broke down, his entirely body shaking and heaving with sobs. His arms were crossed, nails digging into his upper arms in anguish, his head hung in despair. Warm, fresh tears landed in his lap, creating a large wet spot on his pants.

"Armin, it's not your fault…"

Eren had finally been able to let go of his stomach that he had been clutching in pain as he reached out to try and comfort Armin. The boy unexpectedly shied away from his touch, causing Eren to balk.

"Don't! It _is _my fault! I led that maniac straight to you. You don't need to comfort me Eren, I'm not worth the effort. You're always having to come to my rescue, to tell me it's all going to be okay. Well, it's not okay! I nearly got us both killed because of my carelessness." Before Eren could protest, Armin stood up, his fists clenched at his sides, his gaze cast downward.

"I won't be a burden to you anymore. You'll be much better off without me, so please, just forget about me."

Before Eren knew it, Armin was gone, already hoisting himself back into his horse's saddle. He didn't have time to think about what had just transpired before a hand was extended in front of him. He looked up to see Hanji smiling down at him, Phoenix at her side.

"Come on, kiddo, we need to head back before nightfall." Her tone was almost motherly, which Eren found a bit comforting. He nodded before taking her hand, pulling himself up with her help before letting go and dusting himself off. He glanced back in Levi's direction, spotting the man astride Onyx, the mysterious madman lying unconscious across the horse's flanks. He was slightly disappointed that the lunatic wasn't in pieces by now, but he supposed Levi was right in assuming that the man had valuable information to cough up.

Armin trailed behind him on his draft horse, limply holding onto the reins, his eyes dull and lifeless as he stared ahead at nothing. A sharp pang of remorse hit Eren, and he really wished that he had been able to comfort his friend instead of sitting there like an idiot. He hoisted himself up into Phoenix's saddle, taking the reins from the bespectacled redhead.

"Thanks, Hanji" was all he could manage to say before he took off after Levi and Armin.

* * *

The ride back to the castle was completely silent, devoid of any conversation save for the occasional "watch out for that branch" from Hanji. Levi's expression was unreadable. Eren wasn't sure if he was silently fuming, or completely apathetic. He suspected the former.

The evening brought with it the sounds of crickets awakening from their daily slumber to sing their chirpy tunes. The dark clouds that had gathered blocked out the stars and dimmed the moonlight to a slight glow that barely illuminated their path. Levi seemed to know the way well enough that the light was more of a convenience than a necessity.

By the time they arrived the other members of the squad were in a panic. Every member of the Recon Corps had been ordered to stop what they were doing and look for Eren. It wasn't until they saw the party alive that they abandoned their search and retired to their quarters. The animal caretaker was waiting for them, wasting no time in taking their horses back to the stables to remove their equipment and stall them for the night.

Levi heaved the still unconscious man over his shoulder. "I'll take him to the infirmary. Hanji, show Armin to one of the empty bedrooms upstairs," he shot Eren a look of complete disdain before continuing, "and Jaeger, you will report to my office immediately and wait for me. If you aren't there when I arrive _you will regret it._"

Eren winced at the severity of those words. "Y-yes sir" he choked out, sounding rather small and afraid (and he was).

He looked over to Armin, who was following Hanji into the castle, gaze still fixed upon the ground. Eren wanted to run to him, to apologize for not comforting him earlier, to assure him that none of this was his fault. His courage failed him, however, and he was left alone in the castle courtyard.

* * *

He only remembered where Levi's office was located because the man had demanded that it be cleaned from top to bottom no less than three times before he moved his things into the room. It was up the stairs, past the washroom, first door on the left. He had had to memorize the path in his mind to avoid getting lost on his return trips from fetching fresh mop water.

He arrived in front of the large wooden door sooner than he'd liked, and he found himself hesitating to open it. Although Levi was not yet inside waiting for him he still felt intimidated by the ominous entrance. It was like he was standing in front of the gates of hell. He swallowed hard before mustering up his courage and pushing open the heavy wooden door, causing it to creak on its aged hinges.

The only light that permeated the room was a ray of moonlight shining through the tiny window directly in front of him. He spotted a kerosene lamp on the windowsill and moved to light it. If he was going to wait for Levi in his office he at least wanted to be able to see his own hand in front of his face. He really didn't want to sit in the dark, waiting for the older man as if he were the executioner coming to claim his victim.

The lamp flickered to life at his behest, causing the darkness to retreat to the far corners of the room. He spotted a rickety looking wooden chair in the middle of the room and immediately plopped down onto it. He leaned back, trying to his best to relax despite his fear of the coming storm.

He might as well get comfortable while waiting for the reaper.

* * *

Ok! The next chapter will deliver the long awaited goodies that you all are probably waiting for. It's halfway done already. Thanks for being patient with me and reading my ramblings. The story won't be ending there, and there will certain be more steamy moments to come, so I hope you stay tuned!

Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

Sorry this chapter took so long, it took me forever to write something that I was at least half way satisfied with. I actually rewrote the second half about three times. I just don't like it when things move too fast in a story. I'm still not too happy with the way it turned out, and it's shorter than I'd hoped, but the next chapter should be a lot easier to write.

It's been brought to my attention that Eren has been OOC and I kind of agree. I didn't intend to make him look totally spineless in front of Armin's attacker. I'm going to try not to make the same mistakes in the future. Bear in mind that any fan fiction with non canon romance is going to get a bit OOC anyway. Bear with me, I'm just an amateur. I hope you can overlook some of that.

Thanks for reading/reviewing!

* * *

Eren couldn't stop himself from shaking, mostly due to his previous adrenaline rush, but also partially due to his trepidation about what was going to happen next. He dug his nails into his arms and took a deep breath to try and calm his nerves. He'd almost lost his best friend to that madman, and he hadn't been able to do anything while Levi saved the day once again. Just how many times would he have to have the man save him at the last second? He hated relying on the strength of others, especially when it came to protecting the people he cared about. He'd been completely at the mercy of that pathetic excuse for a human being until Levi showed up. In fact, Eren was certain that if the older man hadn't intervened Armin would have been…

He shook his head, trying to clear the gruesome thoughts from his mind. It wouldn't do any good to dwell on what might have been. He just wished that he could make Armin see that Eren did not blame him for what happened. He would have to try and talk to the blonde and set things right.

He sighed, resting his arms at his side and looking around the small office. It didn't consist of much, just a large solid oak desk, atop which sat a map of the area with tiny figures carved into the shape of titans resting on top of it. Behind the lacquered desk sat a high backed office chair, and the now lit oil lamp which rested upon the window sill.

The entire office just seemed so…empty. It was immaculately clean, not a speck of dust or a bit of unnecessary clutter anywhere to be found. It lacked any hint of a comfortable lived in atmosphere.

_It doesn't even smell like him._

A turbulence of emotion was surging through him at the moment. He felt relieved that Armin was out of harm's way, disappointed in himself for being useless, angry at the bastard that had tried to kill his best friend, grateful to Levi for saving their asses, and afraid of what the older man had in store for him now.

Eren hoped that Levi had calmed down at least a little bit since they had returned to the castle. He really had been expecting to be beaten within an inch of his life back in the forest. It might have been his imagination, but Eren could have sworn he'd seen a change in the man's brutality against him lately. It was almost as if he was being lenient towards him. Compared to the beating he'd received in the courtroom the punch was almost like a slap on the wrist. Not that he really believed that he was totally out of the proverbial woods yet. For all he knew Levi could have just been saving his strength for this evening.

As if on cue, Levi burst through the door, making Eren jump in surprise. The older man was exuding a dangerous aura, and Eren reluctantly met his gaze. His cold, grey eyes were narrowed in anger, and Eren bit his lip, doing his best not to look like prey about to be devoured by a predator. The older man slammed the door shut behind him, warding off anyone who heard it from even thinking about entering the room. His gaze never faltered, and Eren began to sweat profusely, contemplating throwing himself at the Corporal's feet and begging for forgiveness before it was too late.

_No. I won't back down. I'm no coward. I'm tired of being intimidated by him. It's time to show him I'm not some pushover._

He steeled himself for any incoming blows, guarding his face with his hands. Much to Eren's surprise (and relief) the Corporal didn't beat him down right then and there; instead he stormed over to his desk, sat down in his office chair, and brought his hands in front of his face, intertwining his fingers and narrowing his eyes at Eren over the top of them. Still he didn't speak, and Eren squirmed at the uneasy silence permeating the air.

A few more agonizingly awkward minutes passed before Levi finally spoke.

"Jaeger. Do you get some kind of sick satisfaction out of deliberately disobeying my orders? " Levi, as always, wasted no time in getting straight to the matter at hand. No unnecessary pleasantries, no small talk. His demeanor was hard to read, but Eren was sure that he was like a coiled snake, ready to strike at any moment. He didn't much care for being scolded like a child, and his anger at being talked down to was beginning to bubble up inside of him.

Levi continued, his tone steady, his frustration manifesting itself when he kneaded his forehead in exasperation. "Then might I ask what was going through that thick skull of yours when you stole that horse and abandoned your training to go frolicking in the forest with Arlert? Do you have such a blatant disregard for your own life that you thought it was a good idea to cross me?" He shot Eren a smoldering look.

Eren looked the older man straight in the eye, a bold, if somewhat foolish gesture. "I wasn't _frolicking_ I rode out to meet him because I didn't want him getting lost on his way back to the castle_. _I knew you wouldn't approve of me going so I didn't even bother to ask before I left" he stated, knowing that he was digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole.

Levi raised one thin eyebrow at the boy's audacity. The boy had been unquestioningly obedient up until now. He kind of liked the change. Someone who never questioned orders made good soldiers, but poor thinkers. "Oh, is that so? Was that assassin his parting gift to you, then?" he asked, dark sarcasm practically dripping from his words.

Eren clenched his fists in indignation before meeting the Corporal's stony gaze. "Don't try to blame that on Armin! He had no idea that he was being followed! He would never deliberately put both of us in danger! He's been my best friend since we were kids!" His voice grew louder with each word until he was practically shouting. Levi was completely unaffected by the outburst. However, the tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife.

"No, I suppose he wouldn't do something like that on purpose. But, the fact is that he did lead the assassin to you, regardless of whether it was intentional. He's as much of an idiot as you are for not realizing that he was being followed, most likely since he left the confines of the walls. Then there's the fact that a trained soldier let his guard down enough to be ambushed. He's a disgrace, as are you for not taking action. Rest assured, he will be punished for his actions."

Levi could tell he'd struck a nerve with boy by the way he was biting his lip and clenching his fists. Not to mention his whole body seemed to be shaking with rage. Eren's blood was practically boiling.

"No! It wasn't his fault! He's not a disgrace and I won't let you lay a finger on him!" he shouted, doing his best to refrain from attacking the other man right then and there.

A dangerous look of bestial anger flickered across those deep ocean eyes, and Levi could practically feel the boy's inner titan begging to be unleashed. The boy was dangerously close to transforming. The older man rose from his desk, pushing his chair backwards from underneath him and slamming his hands down on the desk.

"I swear, Jaeger, if you turn into a titan in my office I will not hesitate to put you down. Calm yourself, _now," _he hissed, emphasizing that he was serious by hovering his hands over his blade holsters. Any pretenses of civility from the man were completely gone. He would not tolerate temper tantrums.

The demand caught Eren off guard, and he willed himself to calm down before he endangered not only his own life, but Levi's as well. He took several deep breaths and tried to manually slow his racing heart by concentrating on being rational. After a couple of minutes he finally regained composure, slumping back into the rickety wooden chair facing Levi's desk, and covering his face with his hands.

_How did things get so fucked up?_

Eren had to use every ounce of self control to keep himself from biting his thumb and crushing Levi under his immense foot. He settled for shooting the older man a look of seething rage.

Once Levi had gauged that Eren was no longer an immediate threat he relaxed his arms and walked to the front of his desk, sitting on the top and crossing his legs. He leaned back on his hands and stared at the stone ceiling, sighing audibly. The adrenaline that had been coursing through his veins in anticipation of Eren transforming was now wearing off, leaving him weary and slightly (but not visibly) shaken. After a moment of regaining his composure he sighed, not taking his eyes off the ceiling, as if it were the most interesting thing in the room.

In truth Levi wasn't as angry with Armin as he let on. And of course he wanted to eviscerate the bastard that had followed the boy for his abhorrent behavior, but none of that pissed him off as much as Eren's blatant disrespect of his authority. If the stupid brat had stayed put, or at least asked permission to leave (which Levi most likely would have denied) then the situation might have turned out very different. He was loathe to admit it, but he'd actually been afraid that he was going to find Eren dead, or even worse, captured and experimented on.

"Listen, shitty brat, I've taken it upon myself to be your guardian of sorts. That means that if you screw up, guess who takes the fall?" he settled his gaze on the younger boy, his tone somewhat softened but still serious.

Eren just met his gaze with a look of defiance. He knew he should be grateful to Levi for saving his ass _again_ but it took swallowing all of his pride before he could say anything resembling a thank you.

"Look, I appreciate the help, ok? But I don't need you to babysit me. I've had enough of that from Mikasa. Why does everyone think it's ok to treat me like a kid?"

The younger male's bold statement had struck a nerve with Levi. Although he didn't show it outwardly, he was beginning to get more than a little pissed off.

"I'll treat you however I damn well please, brat. In case you've forgotten you belong to me now" his eyes narrowed in anger, his voice taking on a tone of annoyance.

That did not sit well with Eren at all. He shot up out of his chair, knocking it over in his haste. His fists were clenched in exasperation as he refused to be insulted any further.

"I don't belong to you! I don't belong to anyone! I'm not some dog that you can just own!" he was shouting now, and he inwardly hoped that no one could hear his outburst from the other parts of the castle, but he just couldn't bring himself to care much at the moment.

He knew he'd fucked up, and he did his best to guard against any incoming blows. He didn't anticipate Levi using his leg to sweep his own legs out from underneath him, causing him to fall on his ass. He yelped when he landed square on his tailbone, the hard stone floor biting into the tender flesh. He didn't have time to lick his wounds, however, because Levi was on him immediately, wrestling the younger male until he ended up on top of him, pinning Eren's hands above his head in triumph.

Eren was completely baffled.

_What the fuck? He moved so fast that I didn't even have time to react. I've got to stop letting him get the jump on me._

"Hey! What the hell?! Get the fuck off of me you bastard!" he shouted, flailing his body around, trying his best to escape the older male's grasp. His efforts were futile, but damned if he wasn't going to try anyway.

Levi remained calm and collected, his face not reflecting his inner irritation. "That's quite the mouth you have on you, brat. When did you become so vulgar?"

Eren squirmed around like a pinned animal. "Shut up asshole!" he spat, his turquoise eyes full of wild fury.

"Tsk tsk, what a filthy brat. How brainless can you be? Is that any way to speak to your betters?" Levi was truly enjoying this game, and he couldn't deny that having the brat squirming beneath him was exhilarating. He loved putting petulant children in their place.

Eren's struggles began to slow, his energy quickly being drained. His chest was heaving from exertion and his wrists had become sore from the older male's none too gentle hold on them.

_Damn it, there's no way I'm getting out of this unless I transform…but I can't really control it yet, and he really might kill me.  
_

Levi seemed to read his thoughts. "Don't even think about it, Jaeger. Even if you manage to escape me, which is highly unlikely, do you really think you'll be able to leave here alive? The others have been instructed to put you down immediately should you get out of control."

Eren's brow furrowed in frustration.

_Shit he's right. I'd be killed immediately. Then there's no telling what they'd do to Armin because of me. But do I really have to lay here and take this? Ugh, guess I'll have to talk my way out of it._

"Fine, whatever. Just let me up" Eren said in defeat, rolling his eyes as a final act of defiance.

Levi wasn't satisfied with that, however. He wasn't going to let the brat off that easily.

"Not until you realize who's in charge here. When you admit that you're a shitty brat that needs to show me some obedience and respect I'll let you go."

Eren narrowed his eyes at the older male. He really wanted to tell him to fuck off, shove it up his ass and go die in a fire, but he was really tired of this position. Not to mention that he was likely already in deep shit for talking to his Corporal like a rebellious teenager. He sighed, finally relenting. He bit back a smartass remark and just decided to humor Levi.

"Fine. I'm a shitty brat and I'll do what you say, so just let me go, ok?" he asked, his tone betraying just how tired he was of the situation.

Levi didn't really like the way the brunette had said it, but he had to admit, his knees were getting sore from supporting his weight on the hard stone floor, and he finally relented, releasing his grip on Eren's wrists and sitting up to relieve his aching joints, not realizing that he was now straddling Eren's waist, his ass rubbing against the boy's nether regions.

Eren really hated himself for reacting to the accidental contact, heat rushing to his face, coloring his cheeks a light shade of crimson. A familiar pressure was building in his abdomen and he cursed the feeling for traveling down between his legs, bringing his arousal to life.

_Ugh I don't need this right now. Damn it, why? Please don't notice please don't notice…_

But Levi did notice. He could feel Eren's "problem" poking him in backside, and he looked down at the boy with a perturbed glare. Eren looked away, trying to focus on something, _anything _else at the moment. It was really difficult to ignore someone unintentionally grinding against your dick, however.

"You little shit, you're getting off on this, aren't you? I didn't realize you enjoyed being beneath me _that _much."

"Shut up! It's because you're rubbing against it, it's a natural reaction. Now please get the hell off of me before this gets even more weird than it already is."

Levi scoffed, "You're the one making this weird. I was just trying to teach you a lesson in humility."

"Ugh whatever! Look, I'm sorry! Just get off of me already!" Eren was practically begging now. He tried to throw the older male off of him now that his hands were free and he had more leverage, but to no avail. Levi was heavier than he looked. All of his struggling only resulted in more delicious friction between his crotch and Levi's soft, supple ass. Not his intention.

Levi contemplated his options. He could have mercy on the brat and get up now or he could continue to taunt him relentlessly.

He really didn't have to think hard to decide which one would be more entertaining.

_This should be a lot more fun than just yelling at him for an hour. Time to make him squirm._

He leaned back over the brunette, his hands resting on either side of the boy's head. "You don't really want me to stop now, do you?" he inched his face closer to Eren's until the younger male could feel Levi's warm breath on his ear, tickling the sensitive flesh and sending shivers down the boy's spine.

"Isn't this what you've been yearning for?" he whispered, causing Eren to turn a deeper shade of crimson despite his inner protests. He hated looking like a blushing schoolgirl, but try as he might he couldn't control his body's reactions to the older male's advances. All he could do was deny any interest.

"Sorry, I don't swing that way" he protested, trying his best to sound sincere in his rejection.

Levi wasn't convinced, however. "Oh? Then why did you react like a blushing bride when I asked you to take your shirt off before?"

"B-because, suddenly asking someone to strip is just weird. Who wouldn't be embarrassed in that situation?"

"I suppose you're right. But not everyone would go and jerk off afterwards either."

Eren's eyes widened in shock and realization.

_Shit, he knows about that? But how?!_

Levi answered his question without him having to ask it. "I found your disgusting, crusty sheets crumpled in the corner of your cell, filthy brat. You could have at least had the decency to wash them after you tainted them."

Eren was completely mortified. He could still deny that the fantasy was about Levi, though. "So what? Is it that strange for guys my age to do that? What makes you think what happened had anything to do with why I did it?"

Levi looked thoughtful for a moment. "You're right, I don't have any way of knowing just what sick thoughts were going through your mind at the time. But don't you think you're protesting just a little too much for someone completely innocent?"

Levi was looking the boy in the eyes now, their faces so close that his breath now caressing the younger boy's lips. The way the boy was squirming told him all he needed to know. "Your body is much more honest than that filthy mouth of yours" he whispered, forcing his knee between Eren's legs, spreading them apart just enough to brush against his growing hardness.

_He really doesn't have any self control, stupid brat._

Eren inhaled sharply at the sensation, stifling a moan and hating himself for reacting. A few strands of Levi's raven hair tickled Eren's face as he moved his mouth down to caress the boy's neck with his hot breath. The sensitive flesh immediately sprouted goose bumps at the contact. Levi was practically laying on top of him now, their chests pressed together with only their clothing to separate them.

Levi decided to make the next move since Eren seemed to be petrified at the moment. He slowly slid his hand underneath the younger male's white undershirt, feeling his firm, toned chest beneath. The brunette had no idea why he didn't just shove the bastard off, or punch him in the nose. He chalked it up to his hormones taking control over his common sense.

_Shit. Here I am, getting felt up and not doing a damn thing about it. I guess I really am a pervert._

Levi's hand continued to travel upwards until his fingers grazed one of Eren's nipples, eliciting a sort of groan from the boy, who immediately slapped his hand over his mouth to silence himself. Levi relished the fact that he could turn the headstrong brat into a flustered mess with a few touches. He removed his hand from under the shirt, making Eren frown at the loss of contact. Although he really didn't want to admit it, he was now craving the man's touch and highly anticipating his next move.

When nothing happened he frowned. Why was he stopping now? Was he waiting for an invitation? If Eren had really not wanted it to go any further he wouldn't still be laying there. He grew tired of waiting for Levi to fucking _do something_ and starting grinding against the older male's leg, biting his lip in pleasure at the delicious friction.

Levi had stopped on purpose, wanting to test just how much he was affecting the boy. He was pleased when the brunette sought his touch on his own accord.

"How indecent" he remarked.

Eren was too far gone with lust to care about the insult. He was rock hard now, pre-cum beginning to leak from the tip of his arousal, collecting in a moist spot on his underwear. He wasn't expecting Levi to push himself up off of him and stand up, leaving him lying on the floor a disheveled mess.

"If you're so eager, then why don't you just do it yourself, shitty brat?" he suggested, making himself comfortable in his office chair. He was feeling rather satisfied with getting such a strong reaction out of the brat.

Eren was at a loss for words.

_Is he fucking with me? He's just going to leave me like this? Whatever, screw him.  
_

"Fine, whatever. I'm just going to go now." As he started towards the door Levi spoke in a low, dangerous tone.

"I didn't give you permission to leave yet, Jaeger. Get your ass back over here" he demanded, causing Eren to look back in his direction. The man was leaning back in his office chair, his hands behind his head, looking at Eren like he was supposed to be doing something.

"What? What do you want now? If you're just gonna fuck with me why shouldn't I leave?" he asked cautiously, not really knowing what to expect. He really didn't want to remain in this room any longer, not after the awkward moment that had just happened. He was almost happy that the whole ordeal that had happened earlier in the day seemed to be forgotten, but now the anticipation of punishment was replaced with just plain awkwardness between the two.

Levi crossed his arms and gave Eren a smug look.

"Don't try to pretend that you don't want me to take care of that little "problem" of yours, Jaeger. I'm not a complete dolt, I've seen the way you're always ogling me. You must want my dick up your ass pretty badly" he stated nonchalantly, as if he was stating an indisputable fact. This wasn't anything new to him. He'd had plenty of new recruits, male and female alike, that admired him and even developed romantic interest in him. He usually ignored them or outright rejected them on the spot, and he should have done so with Eren Jaeger. But, as always, he was the exception to the rule.

Eren sputtered, trying not to turn beet red at the man's bluntness. "What? Fuck no! I already told you I don't swing that way!" Eren fervently tried to deny any interest he had in the older man. He decided to try and turn the situation around.

"You're the one who keeps feeling me up! You're the pervert, not me!" Eren waved his arms in exasperation.

Levi just ignored the accusations. It was cute how in denial the brunette was. You know what they say about protesting too much.

"And who was being obscene and humping my leg like a dog?"

Eren was at a loss for words. There wasn't much he could say to try and deny that he had indeed been rubbing himself against the older man like a wanton whore.

"Whatever" he finally relented, cheeks flushing. He hated how calm and collected the Corporal always seemed to be. It was beneficial in battle, but damn annoying otherwise.

However, he had an idea, one that might show Levi that he wasn't the only one who was indecent. He wanted the usually stone faced man to show even a hint of losing his self control. It was his turn to make the older male squirm for a change.

He slowly removed his token cape and jacket, slipping his arms out of the sleeves and letting it fall, forgotten, to the floor. He then proceeded to begin unbuttoning his shirt, fumbling with the first few buttons out of nervousness before finally getting them undone, working his way down to the bottom slowly. He bit his lip lightly as he undid the last button, letting the garment fall open and reveal his bare chest.

_ He's always making me feel like a pervert. Two can play that game.  
_

Levi was a little taken aback at the younger male's sudden display of boldness.

"Just what do you think you're doing, brat?"

Eren just ignored him, standing there with his chest bared like he was revealing some intimate secret. His chest was the same as Levi remembered it, smooth, tan, toned, and with a few faint scars that were a testament to his less than luxurious life before joining the military.

"If you're trying to shock me, Jaeger, I'm afraid it isn't going to work."_  
_

It wasn't supposed to turn him on. He was supposed to just be pretending to be interested in the shitty brat. It was just a game, nothing serious. He just wanted to teach the boy a lesson, that's all.

_He's doing it on purpose, the little shit. Oh well, I'll let him have his fun. For now._

Eren sauntered over to the older male casually, as if he wasn't half naked. He stopped when he was front of the large oak desk. He sat on the edge and removed his knee length boots one by one, tossing them into the corner, not particularly caring where they landed.

Normally Levi would be pissed that the brunette had the audacity to plant his ass on his nice clean desk, but much to his chagrin, his mind was...elsewhere at the moment.

After discarding his boots Eren began slowly unhooking the straps of his 3D gear, careful not to cause any damage to the vital equipment. Once he was done unfastening it he slid it off slowly over his legs and stepped out of it, scooting it out of the way with his foot. Now all that was left were the tight white pants of his combat uniform that did nothing to hide his erection. Although the boy was rather skinny and his hips were quite narrow the pants hugged his form, showing off what little curves he had around his thighs and ass. He figured he would pay Levi back for the whole sexy ass display in the stream.

He stood up from the desk, his back to the older male. He unbuckled his belt and skillfully popped open the button on his pants and unzipped them in one fluid motion. He slipped his thumbs under the waistband before hesitating for a moment.

_There's no going back now._

Levi picked up on Eren's apprehension and cleared his throat, impatience getting the best of him.

"Get on with it, brat. I'm growing old over here."

"Oh, so you admit you want me to continue?" Eren gave Levi a smug, shit eating grin that made him want to puke.

"Don't get cocky, brat, I'm just humoring you and whatever little game you're playing" he replied casually, leaning back in his chair and acting rather apathetic about the entire situation.

Eren didn't feel like playing this game anymore. He buttoned and zipped his pants back up before plopping back in his chair. His plan wasn't working quite the way he'd hoped. Or so he thought.

Levi hadn't realized just how entranced he'd become in the display until the brat had stopped. It was like putting a piece of cake in front of someone only to take it away just as they were about to dig in. He hated that he'd taken the bait.

"I didn't say you could stop, shitty brat." If Eren didn't know any better, he'd say the Corporal was almost pouting.

"Yeah well, that's just too bad."

_Ha! So I was actually getting to him. Payback's a bitch, isn't it?_

"Whatever. Not like a brat like you has anything worth looking at under there anyway" Levi leaned back in his chair and fixed his gaze on the ceiling once again. He could tell the brunette was getting aggravated just by watching him squirm out of the corner of his eye.

Eren was trying his best not to let Levi get under his skin, but the smug look on the bastard's face was really irritating.

_Ugh how did he turn this around on me? And why am I falling for it hook, line and sinker?_

Instead of continuing to strip, Eren sauntered over to Levi, trying not to lose his pants in the process since they were now loose. He took a deep breath, mustered up all of his courage, and climbed into the older male's lap, making the office chair creak with their combined weight. He straddled Levi's waist and grabbed the top of the back of the chair to brace himself. Their faces were within inches of each other and Eren couldn't help but notice how soft looking Levi's lips were.

Normally Levi would have thrown the brat off of him without hesitation and left his ass on the floor. He had to admire the brat's audacity. He hadn't let anyone get this close in a very, very long time. Usually he found close contact with other people unpleasant, and he tried to avoid it as much as possible, yet here he was, letting the brat sit on his lap. Perhaps it was a testament to how much Eren really did affect him.

Eren was trying desperately to make Levi react, displaying a kind of tenacity that he usually reserved for battle, going so far as to grind his hips into the older male's lap, biting his lip to suppress a moan at the friction. His eyes were closed in concentration as he continued to gyrate against the older male, rubbing against lap, his ass brushing against Levi's inner thighs.

As much as Levi wished that the brat wasn't having an effect on him he couldn't deny that his pants were getting tighter by the second. He knew it was wrong on so many levels. One, he was the brat's superior officer, two he was older than him, and three they were both men. He hated the fact that it was so hard to bring himself to care about any of it. He hated the fact that he wasn't disgusted by Eren's touch, and he hated the fact that he'd let the brat get the best of him.

_I'm going to hate myself for this in the morning._

He brushed his hands against Eren's still clothed thighs before moving them up to rest on the brunette's narrow hips, feeling the younger male lean into his touch.

Eren's shirt was still unbuttoned, revealing his lean, sun kissed chest. His breaths were coming quickly, likely out of nervousness, causing his toned chest to rise and fall in an unsteady rhythm. Eren dared to look into Levi's eyes, relishing the fact that the normally cold, aloof look they held was replaced with an almost predatory lust.

He inhaled sharply when Levi dug his nails into the sides of his hips, causing him to halt his movements. He could feel something hard pressing against his thigh and he silently congratulated himself.

_So he is human after all._

He was caught off guard when Levi bucked his hips upwards, causing him to lose balance and fall against the older male's chest. He tried to use his arms to push himself back into his previous position, but he found himself pinned by Levi's arm hooked behind his back. His arms were trapped between their chests and his face was being shoved into the leather fabric of the chair. Levi's other hand was traveling around from his hip until it came to rest on his ass. He could feel Levi's warm breath against his ear as he spoke, his voice low and as smooth as velvet.

"This is all your fault, shitty brat. Now take responsibility."

Eren was glad that from the way they were positioned it was pretty much impossible for Levi to see how red his cheeks had become at the statement. He really hadn't counted on this escalating any farther. He'd just wanted to make get a rise out of the older male. He'd never dreamed that the man would actually reciprocate his advances. His heart felt like it was about to pound out of his chest.

_Is this really happening? I thought he was just fucking with me. Is he actually interested?_

When he felt Levi's hold on him loosen he considered just getting up and running out of the room. He just didn't know if he was ready to take it any further, especially after all that had transpired in the last twenty-four hours. He wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of sleeping with his superior officer, although he'd admired the man for many years and made him an idol of sorts. It wasn't unusual to develop feelings for such an important person in your life, was it? And he owed Levi for so many things that he would never be able to repay.

He certainly didn't want a pity fuck, though. If anything was going to happen between them he wanted it to be because Levi wanted it, not because he felt that he owed the man something.

Before he could think about it any further, there was a knock on the door. A reluctant yet excited voice came from the other side.

"Corporal Levi! Our evil villain has finally awakened from his beauty sleep. Would you like to speak to him personally or shall I interrogate him first?"

It was Hanji. Levi cursed under his breath and shot the door a death glare, hoping that it penetrated the thick wood. He'd nearly forgotten about why he'd called Eren to his office in the first place. By the time he looked back at Eren the brunette had already removed himself from Levi's lap and started putting his clothes back on. It would be extremely awkward if someone walked in to see a half naked boy in his office. He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration before answering.

"I'll talk to him first. Just wait for me downstairs" he begrudgingly replied.

"Yes, sir! I'll go ahead and head back. Meet you at the infirmary!" Hanji replied cheerfully, as if they were going shopping for shoes or something.

Eren finished buttoning up his shirt and looked around for his discarded jacket. Levi rose from his chair and silently stalked over the brunette, who was slipping his arms into his jacket. As the younger male turned to go Levi grabbed his wrist, causing Eren to jump in surprise and turn to face him.

"Don't think I'm letting you off the hook for what you did this afternoon," his said, subdued voice not matching his words' harshness," from now on I'll be supervising your training personally. You will report to me every hour on the hour until I decide that you can be trusted enough not to run away, understood?"

Eren's mood had been ruined by the sudden interruption, and instead of protesting all he could manage to do was nod in response, looking at the floor. He looked quite sullen. Levi didn't like it when Eren resigned himself like that. It was much more fun when he fought back. He really wanted to yank the boy into his arms and continue where they left off, but Hanji was waiting for him and would get suspicious if he didn't show. Reluctantly, Levi released his grip on the boy's wrist and Eren turned to leave, a defeated look on his face.

"I'm gonna go check on Armin. Any idea where his room is?" he asked over his shoulder.

Levi bristled a bit. He knew the two were best friends, but he couldn't help but feel a bit irritated at how concerned Eren always seemed to be about the brat. He answered nonetheless.

"Down the hall, turn left, first room on the right. Be sure to tell him that I'll make the bastard that threatened him squirm. It might cheer him up a bit."

Eren nodded before opening the door and slipping out into the darkened halls, leaving Levi alone with his thoughts.

_Damn it. Why did I just let that happen? I am not interested in the shitty brat of all people._

He readjusted his clothes, dusting off his pants and straitening his cravat. He pulled a comb out of his pocket and ran it through his raven locks, smoothing them over so that they didn't have that "just almost got laid" tousled look. He really didn't want any of the other squad members getting any strange ideas, especially not Hanji. He would never hear the end of it if she saw him in such a state.

He was glad that the woman's annoying voice had been enough to make his "problem" go away on its own so that he didn't need to take a cold shower.

* * *

Eren reluctantly made his way to the room where Armin was staying. He really needed to smooth things over with the blonde, and he knew it, but he could already feel a knot beginning to form in his stomach. The closer he got to his destination, the larger it grew, and he felt like throwing up. Everything was so messed up lately. He almost wished a titan would show up, if only to return some normalcy to his life. He didn't need to think about unnecessary bullshit when he was fighting. All that mattered then was focusing on his target and eliminating it, nothing more. Suddenly the prospect of talking to his best friend seemed more daunting than facing an abnormal titan at the moment.

He knew Armin wasn't angry with him, but he still felt guilty anyway. He hated seeing Armin like that, full of self hatred and remorse. What made the situation even worse was that Armin was the most perceptive person he knew. There was no way a full grown man could have followed him without Armin noticing. Nothing ever got past the boy, so how did that would-be assassin manage to avoid being discovered? It was a mystery, one that he hoped Levi was attempting to solve tonight.

When he arrived in front of Armin's door he paused, putting his thoughts on hold. He took a deep breath and rose his hand to knock, but hesitated before his knuckles reached the wood.

_What am I going to say? What could I possibly say or do to make Armin feel like this entire thing wasn't his fault?_

After a minute of silent contemplation he finally bit his lip and lightly knocked on the door, not wanting to startle his friend.

"Armin? Are you awake? We need to talk" he said softly, loud enough for Armin to hear but still gentle.

At first there was no response and Eren wondered if the blonde was sleeping or just ignoring him. He really hoped it wasn't the latter.

"Armin, please open up. I just want to apologize for earlier."

Still nothing. Eren was beginning to get a little frustrated, but he didn't let it show.

"Armin...look, you don't need to blame yourself for what happened. I know you would never fail to notice someone following you under normal circumstances. That guy...I dunno, maybe he's got some kind of technique he uses to avoid detection or something, I don't know, but I do know that it wasn't your fault at all, so please, let me in."

His forehead was resting against the door as he spoke, his entire body weary. He was about to give up and just try again in the morning when the door cracked open slightly, almost making him fall. He saw one blue eye peek out from the door crack, regarding him with an apologetic look.

"Eren...sorry I didn't come to the door sooner. I was...looking through my book" he opened the door the rest of the way. He looked haggard, exhaustion apparent on his face. The cut on his neck had been bandaged so well that he almost looked like a mummy.

"Oh...uh...sorry to disturb you," he continued, realization dawning on him when the book was mentioned,"oh! The gift basket! Did you manage to grab it before we left the forest?"

Armin nodded sadly. A sheepish look crossed Eren's face as he spoke, "I'm really sorry. I know you guys put a lot of time and effort into those gifts. I just...with everything that happened I kinda just...forgot about it." He rubbed the back of his head in shame.

Armin didn't look angry, however. He smiled sadly before opening the door wider. "It's okay, Eren. You had more important things to worry about. Why don't you come in and we'll talk, ok?"

Eren smiled back at his friend, a genuine smile. A look of relief crossed his face as he stepped into Armin's room, the blonde closing the door behind him. Now that he was in better light he could see that there was a faint pink hue on Armin's cheeks, and he started to worry that the boy was sick.

That was until he spotted the opened bottle of red wine on the table, the very same one from his gift basket. He made the connection with Armin's pink cheeks and looked incredulous. As he watched his friend wobble a bit as he strode over to his chair, he couldn't stop himself from finding out just what was going on.

"Armin, have you been drinking?"

* * *

Heh, sorry to leave it at such a weird spot. I needed to wrap this up before I gotta go somewhere in a couple of hours. Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

Hello everyone! Sorry this chapter is a bit short. I wanted to update before leaving again this weekend. I'll be updating again hopefully Monday or Tuesday. Thanks for all your kind words and reviews! I never expected this fic to get so much attention. It makes my day to see so many favorites/followers enjoying my writing. Without you guys I wouldn't have the motivation to continue. Thanks so much!

Please ready and enjoy.

* * *

"Armin, have you been drinking?"

The question was an unnecessary one. Just looking at the blonde's flushed pink cheeks and staggering walk was enough of an answer for Eren. When Armin finally steadied himself enough to sit down into the chair without falling he turned to face his childhood friend, a stupid grin plastered across his face.

"Of course not! What gave you that idea?" He wobbled a bit in his chair, trying to keep his balance as if he were on a ship that was sailing through stormy seas.

Eren raised one thick eyebrow, giving his friend a knowing look before answering, "Because, the bottle is almost empty and it doesn't look broken." Eren sloshed around the last little bit of the scarlet liquid to emphasize his point.

Armin looked at the wine bottle in Eren's hands before gasping and pointing, "ohmygosh Eren! How'd you drink all that so fast without me even noticing?! Are you a wizard?!"

_Oh boy, he's even worse than I thought. He's completely smashed._

Eren was not amused and scowled at the blonde before chiding him like one would a child that had drawn on the walls. "No, Armin. I didn't drink this, you did. I can tell you're drunk because your face is red, you reek of booze, and you can barely walk. Why did you do this? You're too smart to resort to this kind of thing." His face was etched with concern as he looked expectantly at his friend, awaiting an explanation.

Armin's brows furrowed in consternation. "Because it was there," he said, a resentful tone in his voice, trying to look serious and failing when he nearly tumbled out of his seat. Eren caught his arm and sat him upright again.

Eren sighed in frustration. Could this day get any worse?

"Look, Armin. I know why you drank it. You were upset because of what happened earlier and you were looking for a way to deal with your problems. Listen, you don't have to do stuff like this. I'm here for you anytime, you can tell me anything. I know you think you're a bother to me or something, but it isn't true. You're my friend, and what happened isn't your fault at all, so please stop blaming yourself."

Armin's face twisted into a variety of expressions; confusion, anger, then finally, sadness. Eren was hopeful that he'd finally gotten through to his friend.

"I'm sorry Eren…are you mad cause I drank all your wine?"

_Well, so much for that._

Eren smacked his forehead and let out a frustrated groan. "No! Damn it Armin, didn't you hear a word I just said?"

Armin looked thoughtful, grasping his chin between his thumb and index finger as if he was contemplating something deep and meaningful. He stayed like that for a few seconds before answering, "Yes! You said that…that…um…don't bother telling a dealer about your drinking problems!"

Eren pinched the bridge of his nose in aggravation. "Okay, it's obvious that I'm going to have to wait to talk to you until you're sober." As he rose to leave, Armin grabbed his shirt sleeve, tugging on it like a child would to get someone's attention. Eren looked down to see his friend giving him a pleading look, eyes looking like a puppy's.

"Eren, please don't go. I don't wanna be all alone again." He choked back a sob, tears beginning to well at the corner of his eyes.

Eren's previously irritated expression softened into one of pity as he sighed, sitting back down. There was no way he could leave Armin like this. He was completely inebriated and totally helpless. The blonde seemed to cheer up a bit when he realized that Eren was staying. He wiped the tears from his eyes before they could stain his cheeks and broke out into another wide grin.

"Yay! Thanks so much, Eren! You're a true, true friend!"

Eren just gave him a small smile and leaned back in his chair, the stress of the day finally catching up and taking its toll. He felt exhausted mentally and physically. He ran his fingers through his messy brown hair and sighed.

"Well, I'm tired. Do you want me to sleep here so that you won't be alone?"

Armin shook his head. "No! Don't sleep yet! You have to tell me how things went with Captain Riva….Rover….Ravioli..." He trailed off, obviously struggling to find the right words.

Eren corrected him,choking back a laugh at _Ravioli,_ "Corporal Levi," his face colored a bit as he remembered what had transpired not even an hour ago, and his expression darkened.

"I don't really feel like talking about it right now."

Armin shifted in his seat, crossing his legs like a teenage girl would when gossiping about cute boys. "Oh, come on Eren, you can tell me anything!"

It was astounding just how much alcohol could affect a person's judgment. Armin would normally have respected his friend's privacy and dropped the subject, but drunk Armin was trying to pry into his affairs like a nosy schoolgirl. Eren wondered why, of all the things that had happened that day, Armin had latched onto his little visit to Levi as the one thing he seemed to be coherent enough to remember.

Since Eren felt partially responsible for Armin's condition, having not checked on him sooner, he relented and decided to tell him an…edited version of the night's events.

"Well…he wasn't happy. He got onto me for not following orders of course. Luckily he wasn't in a particularly violent mood."

Armin swayed a little, trying to figure out why there were two Erens all of a sudden. He decided to ignore it and replied, "That's good. I was scared that he might beat you up again like he did in the courtroom…man you really got your ass kicked back then, hahahaha!"

Eren rolled his eyes and overlooked the insult. It wasn't like it was a total lie, he really had gotten his ass kicked. "Yeah yeah, very funny. Look, it's late, let's go to bed, okay? I think you need to sleep this off." He rose up from his spot on the chair and gently grabbed the blonde's arm, steadying him enough so that he could stand. He tried not to grasp the delicate limb too firmly. Armin always seemed so fragile, and although he wasn't made of glass, Eren certainly didn't want to leave any bruises to have to explain in the morning.

Armin yawned and replied, "Okayyyy."

Eren slowly, carefully led Armin over to the full size bed, letting the blonde lean on his shoulder a bit to balance his unsteady steps. When he reached the bed Armin slipped from his grasp and face-planted into the soft mattress. It didn't take long for him to drift off into a deep, alcohol induced sleep, drooling a bit and soaking the down comforter under his chin. Eren just sighed, pulling Armin's boots off so that at least his feet could breathe a little. He stood up and removed his jacket, hanging it on the edge of the chair before taking off his boots and 3D gear. When he was left only in his shirt and pants he collapsed on the bed next to Armin, curling up in the blankets like a cocoon.

His mind was plagued with flashbacks of everything that had occurred that day, and how he could have done things differently. His focus was mainly on how much of an idiot he'd been in Levi's office. He'd cursed at the man, nearly changed into a titan, and dry humped him all in the span of an hour. He was almost certain that Levi now thought even less of him than he previously had, and his heart sunk. He had acted like a bratty kid mixed with a hormonally challenged teenager. It was embarrassing to think about how shameless he had been without regard to how it made him look to his superior officer. He was probably disgusted with him now.

_Things are just going to be strange around him now. Why did I have to be such an idiot and throw myself at him?_

But, if Levi really had really been that opposed to his advances surely he would have done something to let him know, right? Like kick him in the groin, or punch him in the face, or even just yelled at him for being a horny brat. Levi was anything but shy about letting people know what he really thought of them. If he'd found Eren's touch disgusting, surely he would have broken his fingers for daring to lay a hand on him.

Not to mention the fact that he'd relentlessly teased him, breathing in his ear and touching...places.

Of course, the Corporal could have just been playing with him. He did say he was just humoring "whatever game" Eren was playing. The brunette was completely baffled. Would the man really go so far just to fuck with him? Surely not. Eren curled tighter into his cocoon, wishing that he could just shut the world out for a while. His mind didn't seem to get the hint, though, and he continued to ponder Levi's true intentions.

The stoic man's true thoughts and emotions would probably forever remain a mystery to everyone but himself, however.

Armin's snoring was becoming louder and louder, interrupting Eren's train of thought with their almost buzz-saw like intensity. Someone so small should not have been able to make such an ungodly sound. He rolled over and covered his head with a pillow, doing his best to block the offending sound. When the noise managed to pierce even the pillow's thickness, Eren sighed for what seemed like the thousandth time that evening.

_It's going to be a long night._

* * *

"I'll ask you again, who are you and who are you working for?"

Levi narrowed his eyes at the psychopath, disdain etched on every square inch of his face. It disgusted him to even be in the same room as the man. He certainly hadn't proven himself to be good company at all.

The previously unconscious attacker was now fully awake and alert, sitting up on his small cot in an isolated corner of the infirmary, the one typically reserved for troublesome patients, or those that were delirious and lashed out in pain. Both of his wrists had been handcuffed behind his back and chained to the wall, severely restricting his movements. His wound had been cleaned and bandaged and he remained shirtless so that the medical staff could change the wrappings without having to remove the handcuffs. His chest was almost ghostly pale and covered in scars, some fresh, others faded.

_Too many scars for someone so young. It's clear that he's seen some combat._

The youth couldn't have been more than twenty-five. He was rather thin, but not scrawny. His body was lithe and lean, which was necessary for an assassin, Levi supposed. Once you kill someone in cold blood you need to be able to escape quickly and without a sound.

His shoulder length red hair was matted from laying in a puddle of his own blood and dirt in the forest, and Levi cringed. Just when he thought he couldn't like the man any less.

_Not only is he bat shit insane, he's filthy to boot. Just great._

His golden eyes were wide and full of curiosity where fear and panic should have been. Any other sane person would have been quite concerned about being chained to a cot in a strange place, surrounded by strangers who would just assume slit your throat than look at you. However, he was clearly far from sane as he took in his surroundings like a child would, paying more attention to the color of the drapes than the clearly pissed off man interrogating him.

Levi was not known for being a patient person, and the little bit of patience he did have was quickly wearing thin. He'd berated Hanji for her interruption, claiming that he'd been in the middle of disciplining Eren, and he was none too pleased to find out that violence was prohibited against the prisoner until his wounds were fully healed, lest he die of physical trauma. The information he held could prove far too valuable to warrant his death. Without being able to rely on violence, Levi's attempts at getting answers were proving to be a waste of time and energy. Not to mention the way that the idiot kept referring to himself as "this one" like he was some kind of mindless drone, which got really old really fast.

The man's initial reaction to the Corporal's presence had been one of trepidation, anticipating a second life threatening wound to add to his previous one. Once he'd realized that Levi was forbidden from harming him, however, his demeanor changed from fearful to almost playful in his attempts to press all of Levi's buttons as quickly as he could.

"My Little Corporal, why so serious? Relax a bit! You keep asking about this one, but what about you? Just who is the man behind the scowling visage? Hehehehe!" The man's face broke out into his token Cheshire grin, his psychotic laughter ringing out in the normally quiet atmosphere of the infirmary.

Levi's eye twitched in anger at the thinly veiled insult to his height. He really, _really _hated this asshole. He had to try and retain his composure, however. He couldn't let the weirdo get the best of him.

"Look, you brainless piece of trash, either you start answering my questions or I'll make sure you don't get fed for a week, understand? Now, who are you and who hired you to come after Eren Jaeger?"

The younger man seemed to perk up at the mention of Eren's name, his golden eyes filling with curiosity. "Ooh, you mean Monster Boy? Is he here? This one rather liked chatting with the lively fellow."

Levi raised a thin eyebrow at the statement.

_He clearly knows about Eren's powers, which leads me to believe he must be working for someone in military police, but I can't be sure just yet._

"I demand that you tell me all you know about Jaeger." He asked, making sure to talk slowly so that the idiot could comprehend the question.

The younger male was far from a dimwit, however. In fact, he was a proving to be rather coy.

"Yay-grr? That's not his name, silly. His name is Monster Boy, and he's no fun, no fun at all. Much too serious, just like you! No one ever wants to play with this one these days," he said, pouting like someone had told him that they wouldn't come to his birthday party. After a few seconds he continued, "It's a shame really, that his pretty little face was wearing that ugly scowl the entire time. He must have the most delicious expressions. This one would love to see that lovely face contorted in pain...or pleasure." He gave Levi a sadistic smile, having the audacity to go so far as to wink at him suggestively.

Levi glared daggers at him. This maniac was really starting to rub him the wrong way, and he'd only been interrogating him for about half an hour. It was as if the younger male knew just what to say to piss him off without fail. On the inside he was absolutely livid, but he took a deep breath and did his best not to let his irritation show. Levi losing his temper was probably just what the psychopath wanted, taunting him until he broke the rules and raised his hand against the prisoner, effectively ending the interrogation. But Levi was no one's fool, and he refused to lose this battle of wits. He crossed his arms and leaned on the door frame.

"Well then, since you refuse to cooperate I'm going to tell the cooks to refuse to feed you until you feel like talking."

Much to Levi's chagrin, the man didn't seem at all perturbed. Instead, his large golden eyes regarded Levi with a look of curiosity.

"The Corporal seems to dislike it when this one speaks of Monster Boy. How curious, how curious indeed," he mused, a knowing smirk crossing his lips. Levi didn't like that look one bit. He tensed, once again giving the youth a glare that would have sent any mentally sound person running with their tail between their legs.

"His name is Eren, not Monster Boy. You will address him properly or you will regret it."

The man didn't seem phased by the threat.

"Oh? But this one heard the Corporal address him as "brat" before."

"What I decide to call him is none of your concern, you are less than dog shit and you don't deserve the right to call him whatever you want," Levi snapped, one hand gripping the handle of his blade. He might not be able to use it, but just the feeling of the cold steel under his palm was reassuring nonetheless. He was poised to strike if the man so much as showed an inkling of trying to escape his confines, or if he continued to insult Eren.

Hanji had been silently watching from the shadows, ready to intervene and protect Levi should the need arise. It was highly unlikely with the prisoner restrained in such a manner, but one could never be too careful in these trying times. She moved over to rest a reassuring hand on Levi's shoulder, prompting him to remove his hand from his blade and stand down.

"Come on, Corporal, let's take a break. We can try him again in the morning. It's late, why don't you go back and get some rest? I'll keep an eye on this guy," Hanji spoke in a low, soft tone to avoid the prisoner overhearing. Levi reluctantly nodded, shooting the redheaded man one last searing glare before turning to exit the infirmary.

Hanji remained behind as she said she would. She turned her attention to the prisoner, walking over and pulling up a chair a safe distance away from the man. Not that she was really afraid, having been face to face with titans and nearly eaten, but she had to follow protocol. He studied her for a moment before a look of realization crossed his features.

"This one remembers you. You are the one who tended to this one's wounds. This one is extremely grateful, Miss Smart Glasses," he said, tilting his head down as if he meant to bow.

Hanji giggled despite herself. She knew she wasn't supposed to be casually chatting with a potential murderer, but he was just so…fascinating. Her scientific side always got the best of her.

"You're quite welcome, uhm…what should I call you?"

Golden eyes regarded her with a curious look. "This one is not sure what you mean."

Hanji was a bit taken aback. "You know, your name, what do people call you?"

The redhead looked thoughtful for a moment. It was as if he was digging in the deepest recesses of his mind to answer the simplest of questions.

"This one has known many names. Yes, yes, this one remembers now. This one was once known as _boy_, but that was many, many years ago. Then there was the loud, old man who called this one _worthless_. But this one's favorite name has to be _AHHHHHH!_"

Hanji gave him a highly amused, yet befuddled look. "Pardon?"

The youth laughed as he recalled something that was apparently rather humorous. When he noticed Hanji's quizzical look, he explained.

"Well, when this one is about to kill the prey, sometimes they spot him, despite this one's best efforts to remain unseen. Nearly all of the prey who have seen this one coming have screamed _AHHHH!"_

_Oh. That must be their screams of pure terror right before he snuffs them out like a candle. How charming!_

The redhead seemed to find recalling the cries of his victims in the throes of death far too humorous judging by the way he was laughing, hardly able to catch his breath. He ceased laughing, however, when his mirth earned him a wave of intense pain from his shoulder.

Hanji was more than a little puzzled. How could someone not know their birth name, or did he really not have one? And why was he claiming to have multiple names?

_Aliases, perhaps? That would make sense considering his line of work. _

"Well, what did your previous employers call you? The ones who sent you after Eren? Don't worry, I won't drill you about who they were, that's Corporal Levi's job. I just want to know more about you."

The man regarded her with suspicion, but after a moment of silence, his expression softened .

"Those men…they called this one _the assassin_. There has only been one true name that this one has ever known, and it has only been spoken by the few whom this one has come to call "family." Would Miss Smart Glasses like to know this one's name in exchange for saving his life?"

Hanji smiled, nodding. "Yes, that could be how you repay me. Now let's hear it."

The redheaded youth nodded at her, smiling a genuine, warm smile, one that no one had previously thought him capable of.

"This one's name is…Rook."

* * *

The next morning was a rather gloomy one, dark grey clouds blocking out any hint of sunlight and threatening to unleash a torrent of rain at any given moment. There was a slight breeze that seemed to cut through the nearly unbearable humidity of the summer if only for a little while. It was one of those days that nature seemed unable to decide whether it wanted to be overcast or rain.

It was certainly miserable outside, and it wasn't much better inside the castle.

Eren awoke to Armin dry heaving over the side of the bed and groaning, looking much like death warmed over. He felt sympathy for the blonde, but he supposed it would teach him a lesson about not relying on alcohol to solve his problems. Armin's fingers were threaded through his bedraggled blonde hair, his hands resting against the sides of his head in an effort to get the room to stop spinning. He didn't know what was worse, the nausea or the throbbing headache he felt coming on.

_I'm never touching another drop of alcohol, ugh._

Eren patted Armin's back in an attempt to soothe the boy's discomfort. "Do you want a glass of water, Armin? I'll go downstairs and get you one if you want."

Armin could only nod in response. Speaking just seemed to take way too much energy at the moment. Eren pulled the covers back and planted his feet on the cool stone floor. Since the weather had taken a turn for the worst, and most of the higher ups were busy with preparing for new recruits, training for the day had been cancelled. It was extremely rare to get a day of leisure, and Eren was relieved that he and Armin would have a chance to recover from the stress of the previous day's events.

He suddenly recalled the ultimatum that Levi had given him the night before, about having to report to him every hour. He panicked a little, realizing that he'd overslept past the usual time that he was expected to rise, which was six o'clock. It was now eight. He was still a little peeved at the older male, but he was, in the end, Eren's superior, and humanity's strongest soldier. He deserved more than a little respect, especially after he'd saved Eren from certain doom no less than three times now.

It wasn't as if Eren didn't respect Levi, far from it. He'd idolized the man almost his entire life, and that fact hadn't changed. His stomach was in knots as he remembered the way he'd spoken to his supposed hero the night before. Even if he'd had it coming.

_Shit. Maybe he's downstairs. I'll bring Armin some water and then I'll go look for him._

He slipped on his boots, careful to not make too much noise and disturb Armin, who was curled into a fetal position at the foot of the bed. He slipped his jacket back on, ran his comb through his messy brown hair a couple of times, carefully closed the door so that it didn't slam, and set off on his way to the dining hall.

Almost immediately upon exiting the door he ran smack into Petra, knocking her on her rear. He looked down at her, confused at first, before realizing what had happened. He quickly moved to help her.

"Petra! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you. Here, let me help you up," he said apologetically, extending his hand down to the disoriented girl, which she took with a smile.

"It's okay Eren, I should have paid more attention to where I was going. I was just in the process of sweeping the halls. Not much to do on a dreary day like today besides clean. I'm sure the Corporal doesn't mind though," she said, stifling a giggle as she was hoisted back up on her feet with Eren's help. She dusted off her pants before turning to face him.

"So, where are you off to? Got any plans for today?"

Eren shook his head. "Not really, I'm just going to pour Armin a glass of water. He's…sick," he lied, not wanting to make Armin sound like a lush. It wasn't anyone's business really, and he preferred to keep it that way, even if Petra was a genuinely trustworthy person. His best friend's reputation came first.

Petra's eyes softened with concern. "Oh, the poor dear. I heard about what happened yesterday. I hope he gets better soon."

Eren rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Uh…yeah, me too. Oh! That reminds me, have you seen Corporal Levi anywhere?"

Petra put her finger to her lips, looking thoughtful for a moment. "Hmm, not today. He might be sleeping in. I heard he was up most of the night interrogating that awful man that attacked poor Armin. Would you like me to check and see if he's in his room while you get Armin some water?"

_That's all I need. A sleep deprived Levi is not something I want to see._

"No!" he blurted out, causing Petra to jump a little, and he lowered his voice before continuing on, "Um…I mean no, that's okay. Thanks anyway, Petra. I gotta go, see ya!"

With that Eren was dashing down the stairs, leaving a very confused Petra in his wake.

"Oh...okay, Eren. Take care!" She shouted after him.

_I wonder what's gotten into everyone around here._

Shrugging, she picked up the broom and continued the task of sweeping the castle floors, humming a tune to herself. She could hear a faint retching sound coming from Armin's room, but she decided not to question it. Everyone deserved their privacy, after all.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please leave a review when you have the time!


	10. Chapter 10

I am soooo sorry for the long wait! Things have been a little hectic around here lately. College starts back tomorrow, and my boyfriend had been sick. I can't really write when he stays home from work. Not that he disapproves of my fanfictions, it's just that I need peace and quiet to write. Please forgive me for taking so long!

This chapter is more of a lead in to upcoming events, but I hope you still enjoy it. I promise more action is coming. Thank you all so much for your follows/reviews/favorites! I never dreamed that this many people would be interested in my story. It was originally going to be a one shot, but the story just continued to develop over time and I couldn't leave it alone. Thank you all so much for deciding to read it! I couldn't be happier with all of the kind words and encouragement I've received. Thank you so, so much!

By the way, I've been asked if it's okay to share my story on tumblr, and yes! I would love it if you guys liked the story so much that you wanted to share it. All I ask is that you give me credit.

Please read and enjoy!

* * *

_Eren, Armin. Wait for me, I'm coming. I promise I won't leave you all alone with that despicable man._

Mikasa Ackerman stared out of the grime coated window of the dining hall as she pushed a lumpy substance that was supposed to be breakfast around on her plate. She had given up trying to guess just what the goop was made of long ago. Sure, it was edible, and it served its purpose of giving her enough energy to train, but her appetite had completely left her that evening.

Armin had departed the previous morning, slipping out secretly long before sunrise. Mikasa kicked herself for not keeping a closer eye on the blonde. She hadn't expected him to try and deliver Eren's gift alone. She should have known that he would leave her at the barracks after the way she had reacted the day of Eren's trial. The boy had never seen her so furious, her usual calm demeanor replaced with seething rage at the spectacle that they had witnessed in the courtroom between Lance Corporal Levi and Eren.

Seeing the man nearly kick her adoptive brother to death had awoken a hidden demon within the girl, tendrils of anger unfurling within the deepest core of her being. It was one thing for Eren to intentionally put himself in harm's way and pay dearly for it; but for him to have been tied up and mercilessly beaten like a misbehaved mongrel was more than she could bear. If Armin hadn't been holding her back she surely would have throttled the bastard.

Perhaps the worst part of the entire fiasco had been watching Eren get dragged, nearly unconscious, from the courtroom, away from everything he knew and loved, away from her. She wanted so badly to run to him, to save him like he had once risked his life to do for her. She'd been completely useless to him, the only person that mattered to her in the entire world. Armin had eventually had to pull her, cursing and screaming, out of the courtroom. Who knows what cruel experiments they were going to inflict upon him, what kind of agony he would have to endure. She'd been in tears the rest of that day and well into the night, sleep eluding her as her mind raced with thoughts of vengeance.

_I'll kill him, I swear it. I'll stab him, gut him, slit his throat; I'll do anything to save Eren._

Those horrendous thoughts had invaded her over and over until they began to poison her mind. Armin, being the loyal friend that he was, had taken it upon himself to attempt to snap her out of her unhealthy state of mind. He'd found her sulking in bed way past the usual wake up time, her token red scarf wound around her hands as if she had been clutching onto it for dear life.

"Mikasa, you need to wake up. The superiors are looking for you; you know they don't take kindly to truancy."

"I don't care," she replied ruefully, "I won't be staying here much longer anyway. We'll be choosing the division of the military we want to join soon. You already know that I'm planning to join the Scouting Legion so that I can find Eren and look after him. He needs me."

"I know, but do you really think that any branch will want to accept you if you keep acting so obstinate? They want soldiers who follow orders without question, not ones that act purely on their emotions," he stated firmly, concern etched on his delicate features.

"Eren wouldn't want to see you like this, Mikasa. You have a tendency to forget just how strong he is. He's always been the bravest one of us all, and besides, the Scouting Legion values his existence far too much to bring him anymore harm. He could be humanity's last hope against the titans. Besides, I'm sure that Lance Corporal Levi didn't really enjoy kicking Eren, he just kind of had to" he mused, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, forcing a rather fake sounding laugh to try and lighten the mood.

His attempt proved futile, however. Mikasa narrowed her eyes in anger, her mouth becoming a thin, hard line. She clenched the tattered, ragged blanket of her bed tightly in her fists, desperately trying to convince herself that Armin's words rang true, that Eren really wasn't in any immediate danger. As much as she wanted to go to him now, she knew that leaving without permission would result in her hopes of joining the Scouting Legion being crushed as punishment. She thought about how Eren would react to her sulking, surely berating her for acting like such a useless lump because of him.

After a few moments of deliberating, Mikasa finally let out a defeated sigh. Tomorrow they would finally choose what military branch to join and she would be able to see Eren the next day. If she had already waited this long to reunite with him, she supposed she could manage to get though another day. She loosened her tight grip on her scarf and met Armin's concerned gaze with a grateful look.

"Alright. I'll train today. Thank you, Armin."

And so, the day had passed without incident. Luckily her absence from the first morning's training had been overlooked due to her sheer brilliance and battle prowess. It certainly wasn't fair treatment considering any other soldier that failed to show for any mandatory drills would have been punished without a second thought. It was convenient, however, so she decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth. She had finished her training early, as per usual, and retired to the dining hall for the evening's meal.

Her sleep had been restless, and she had awoken an hour before she was expected to. That was when she had found Armin's note, explaining his reasons for departing without her, complete with apologies and promises to make it up to her later. It should have made her furious, that one of her best friends since childhood would have the audacity to leave her behind when he knew just how much she missed her adoptive brother. She should have been seething with rage that Armin had lied to her, promised to wake her in the morning should he decide to deliver Eren's gifts personally. It really should have bothered her that her friend had been a total hypocrite, convincing her to be obedient and stay put until they chose their divisions while he himself had other plans.

However, she couldn't bring herself to be angry that morning. Depressed and lethargic perhaps, but not angry. The only thoughts in her mind while she pushed around the mush on her plate were of the choice that the entire 104th training squad would have to face that very evening.

_How is Armin going to choose his division if he isn't even present at the ceremony? Maybe he's going to speak to Commander Erwin personally? I wish I could have gone as well. Perhaps he was right in assuming that I couldn't handle seeing Eren without trying to steal him away from that man's clutches._

Lost in her thoughts, Mikasa hardly noticed when Connie, Jean, and Sasha entered the dining hall and took the empty seats at her table. When she continued to gaze out of the dirty window without acknowledging their presence, the others exchanged uneasy glances. Always hating those awkward silences, Connie was the one who finally initiated a conversation.

"Hey Mikasa! Must be something really interesting out there, huh? See any titans? Heh heh," he joked, a fake grin and equally fake laughter following.

The raven haired girl regarded him with a completely apathetic stare, her eyes shifting across the table to acknowledge Jean and Sasha. Jean's cheeks colored a bit under her gaze while Sasha gave a small wave before enthusiastically scarfing down her breakfast. There was another awkward silence before she spoke.

"No, there are no titans here. We are inside of the walls," she replied stiffly, her tone devoid of any emotion.

_Inside of these accursed walls, and Eren is outside attempting to rid the world of the titans while we hide from them like sheep._

She knew Connie's statement had been a (rather terrible) attempt at humor, but she was clearly not in the mood for jokes. The boy flinched a bit at her unamused tone before pretending to busy himself with his food. Jean shot him an annoyed look before kicking the other male's leg under the table.

_Way to go, Connie. You pissed her off._

The girl was hard enough to approach without Connie screwing up one of the few conversations he would probably ever get the chance to have with her. It was time to change the subject.

"So, I guess we get to choose divisions tonight, huh?" Jean hastily blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "I suppose you're going to join the Scouting Legion, eh Mikasa? I guess you'll be attending the ceremony led by Commander Erwin then," He gave her a genuine smile, trying his best to lighten the mood, if only a little.

Mikasa gave a small nod, her eyes fixated on her plate while she pushed around the mush once again. It wasn't much of an answer, but an answer nonetheless. Jean grasped the thin string of conversation he'd managed to initiate and continued on.

"I'm not entirely sure which division to choose, myself. I know I've had plenty of time to think about it, but still. It's a life changing decision, and I'm no good with decisions. I always end up regretting them. I wish I could be as confident in my choice as you and Armin are in yours."

Mikasa's mood seemed to darken at the mention of her friend's name, and he instantly regretted bringing up the blonde. He'd found out about Armin's little journey the previous day, when he'd inquired about the blonde's whereabouts due to his mysterious absence from the morning's training. They had all been shocked by the contents of the note he'd left behind. Jean had been absolutely livid about the situation because they were all made to believe that Eren's gift would be delivered to him after the ceremony.

It was also incredibly strange that the blonde had decided to go alone. Everyone in the 104th training squad, and most of the higher ups, knew that Armin, Mikasa and Eren were a trio, and had been since childhood. After Eren's trial and subsequent acceptance into the Scouting Legion, Armin and Mikasa had become nearly inseparable. It was almost if their bond had become even deeper due to the loss of their mutual friend. One was never seen without the other, save for in the evenings when males and females were forced to bunk in separate barracks. It was quite odd that Armin would go anywhere without her as his companion.

Perhaps that was the reason why Mikasa had been distant and aloof for the past twenty four hours. At first Jean had assumed that she had been aware of Armin's plans. It seemed so out of character for the two of them not to share such information with one another. The vague note that the blonde had left behind hadn't answered any questions, save for the reason that he left Mikasa behind. He knew the girl better than anyone (besides Eren) and he'd known that she would have surely attempted to recapture him. As much as they missed the boy, they simply could not take him away from his duties. Deep down Mikasa knew that joining the Scouting Legion was something that Eren had dreamed of since childhood, and that she would feel simply awful for crushing said dreams. However, that still didn't change the fact that she felt a bit betrayed.

The real question was, why did Armin find it necessary to make such a long, arduous journey just to deliver a basket of goodies? It made absolutely no sense. Surely there must have been a motive, some hidden agenda that the blonde had neglected to share with the rest of them. To make matters worse, he was supposed to have returned that evening. Mikasa had been worried sick until word finally arrived via a letter from Corporal Levi himself that explained his whereabouts. It had been extremely vague, however, not stating the reason that Armin had decided to stay at the castle, only that he was in their custody and therefore safe.

It hadn't been addressed to Mikasa, but she had been made aware of Armin's circumstances by their commanding officer. She was the closest thing to family that the boy had, and therefore all news concerning his welfare was reported directly to her. Normally she would have rushed to his side at once, however, since the ceremony for choosing divisions was that very evening, and she would be attending the one for the Scouting Legion anyway, she decided that her best course of action would be to simply wait until nightfall.

_I must be strong. I will see them again, I swear it. Everything will be decided tonight._

* * *

Eren raced down the stairs and into the dining hall, narrowly avoiding knocking over several fellow trainees in his haste. He wasn't entirely sure why he was in such a hurry; Armin certainly wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Perhaps it was because he was in no mood for stopping to shoot the breeze. Unfortunately for him, Auruo, Erd, Gunter and Mike spotted him before he could make it to his destination. He froze in place as they attempted to strike up a conversation.

"Oi! Look who it is! Eren Jaeger, the wonder boy! How are you this fine morning, wonder boy? Heard you got into a bit of trouble last night," Auruo shouted from his seat at the corner dining table. The other men seated around him let out a chuckle at the nickname, causing Eren to furrow his thick brows in annoyance. Erd seemed to take note of Eren's displeasure and playfully punched Auruo in the arm.

"Don't mind this guy, Eren. He's just a bitter old coot, aren't you, Auruo?"

Auruo rubbed his arm and let out a chuckle. "True, true. Say, speaking of the truth, is it true that Corporal Levi had to save you once again? What's up with that? Surely humanity's last hope against the titans can handle one assassin by himself. Explain to me how we're supposed to believe in you when you can't even kill one man?" The other men around the table looked expectantly at Eren, waiting for his explanation.

Eren clenched his hands by his sides in anger. Just when he had begun to try and forget last night's events, to try and move on with his life, there were these idiots here to remind him of his shortcomings. He was practically shaking with rage. He knew, deep down, that they had every right to question him. If he was going to be the key to retaking Wall Maria and wiping out the titans, he had to prove himself not only to the Corporal, but to his handpicked soldiers as well. It certainly didn't bode well for humanity if its so called savior couldn't even take down one man threatening Armin's life. He tried to think of an explanation, a valid excuse to satisfy their doubts.

"I…," Eren began, his voice trembling with anger and uncertainty, "he took Armin hostage…he was holding a knife to his throat…if I had tried to make a move he would have killed my best friend."

The explanation didn't seem to satisfy Auruo, however, as he waved his hands in a dismissive gesture. "Yeah, so we've heard. That didn't stop you from being able to turn into a titan though, so why didn't you?"

Eren cast his gaze downward in shame. It wasn't as if he hadn't considered transforming, in fact it had been the first thing that had popped into his mind when he saw Armin's life being threatened. It wasn't that he couldn't transform, rather that he wasn't entirely sure that he could control himself once he did.

"I…because…I can't really control it yet and I didn't want to risk hurting Armin," he confessed, clenching and unclenching his fists in shame and anger. He knew admitting to the others that he was unable to fully control himself in titan form was a bad idea, however he just couldn't bear the thought of his fellow squad mates calling him a coward for not taking action.

Auruo crossed his arms and raised one eyebrow in question. "Oh? So, not only do you expect us to trust a brat who's not even old enough to drink, you also expect us to blindly follow a ticking time bomb who can't control his powers?"

"No, but I do," a familiar, masculine voice cut into the conversation suddenly. All eyes turned to Levi as he strode up to the table, arms crossed and usual apathetic expression on his face. Eren spun around to face him, his ocean colored eyes wide with surprise. The men seated at the table immediately saluted their Corporal as he stopped to stand beside Eren, a look of displeasure crossing his features as he looked upon his squad. All of them flinched under his gaze and immediately began to offer their apologies.

"C-Corporal Levi! We meant no disrespect, sir! Please forgive us!" Auruo pleaded, bowing and looking rather pathetic. The other men seated at the table followed suit, eliciting an irritated sigh from Levi. He hated sniveling, groveling, and pleading, especially when it was coming from his own men. "I'll overlook it this time. Go make yourselves useful for once and start cleaning this place up. Once you finish that you can do whatever you like for the rest of the day, as long as it doesn't involve badgering Eren, understood?"

The men let out a unanimous "Yes sir!" before scrambling to get up from the table to collect the cleaning supplies. Once they were out of sight Levi turned his attention towards Eren, who was looking rather downtrodden. The brunette lowered his gaze, his brown hair falling in front of his face as let out an exasperated sigh.

"Well, looks like you saved me again, Corporal. I apologize," Eren said with a self deprecating laugh, "seems like you've been doing a lot of that lately. Maybe I'm really not cut out for being humanity's savior after all." He slumped his shoulders a bit in defeat, eyes still fixated on the floor.

Levi regarded him with an irritated look, complete with his signature scowl. "Look brat, don't start acting like you're completely helpless because I know you aren't. Stop feeling sorry for yourself over things you cannot change. Do you honestly think I would have accepted a helpless imbecile into my personal squad?"

Eren hesitantly met Levi's steel grey eyes with his own. There seemed to be a hint of some hidden emotion behind that stern expression but Eren couldn't quite place exactly what it was. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind as self doubt and despair began to overtake him.

"But they're right, I can't control my titan, and I don't know if I ever will. What good am I if you guys can't rely on me and trust me not to kill you?" His voice was quivering with trepidation. He hated feeling sorry for himself, but damn it, how could he not? Everything that Auruo said had been true. As he began to sink into a bout of self pity he felt a rough thump on his forehead. He looked up and saw that Levi had flicked him like one would a younger brother when they were being stubborn.

"Ow, what was that for?" he asked, rubbing the afflicted area. If anything he had expected the Corporal to just walk away, or punch him to snap him out of his depression. He certainly hadn't been expecting a forehead thump from his commanding officer.

"Because you're being a shitty brat. I promised you that we would find a way to hone your powers, did I not? If I thought you were incapable of ever controlling your titan, do you think I would risk my squad's life and my own by taking you in? No. So shut the hell up about such trivial things and just trust in yourself and my judgment," his expression returned to its normal neutral state as he continued, "now, finish whatever the hell you were doing down here in the first place and go do something productive with the rest of your day."

With that, Levi stalked out of the dining room through the main entrance of the castle, leaving a very bewildered Eren in his wake. As he continued to rub the spot on his forehead Eren mentally kicked himself for not remembering to apologize to Levi for the previous night's events. He'd completely forgotten about what had transpired in the Corporal's office as soon as Auruo had begun antagonizing him. On top of that, he'd let the Corporal walk away without so much as a thank you for defending his honor. He already owed the man so much, and it seemed like his debts just kept piling up.

He made a mental note to track Levi down later and try to redeem himself.

Now that he could move unhindered through the dining hall Eren fetched a glass of water from the kitchens and ascended the stairs, retracing his steps until he was back in Armin's room. The blonde was currently slumped over a wooden bucket, head in his hands as he tried to force the retching to stop. Eren kneeled beside his friend and offered the fresh water.

"Armin, here. You need to stay hydrated since you've been puking your guts out all morning. Try to drink this," he said softly, doing his best not to be too loud so as not to worsen the boy's throbbing headache. Armin peered at him over the rim of the bucket before nodding and taking the cup into one trembling hand.

"Th-thanks, Eren," he replied hoarsely, his voice strained from the exertion. He tentatively took a tiny sip of the cool liquid, relishing the soothing effect it seemed to have on his ravaged throat. He greedily gulped down the remaining amount, wiping a few droplets off of his mouth with his sleeve and heaving a sigh of relief. Eren gave him a reassuring smile and a pat on the back.

"Feeling any better?"

Armin rubbed his temples and sighed once again.

"Ugh…a little. My head finally stopped throbbing and I ran out of stuff to throw up, so I guess that's a good thing," Armin replied, running a hand through his bedraggled golden locks. "I swear I'm never going to drink again for as long as I live." A look of determination crossed his exhausted features before he rested his head on his hands and looked up at Eren, tears beginning to form in the corners of his sapphire eyes.

"Eren…I'm so sorry that you had to see me like this. I should have never touched that wine. It was your present, and I shouldn't have gotten drunk in the first place. I'm sure I said some stupid stuff to you last night. I'm really sorry that I burdened you with my drunken self. You didn't have to stick around and take care of me, I certainly didn't deserve it. You're the best friend anyone could ever ask for," he said, a few tears falling unbidden from his tired eyes. Eren just shook his head and pulled the blonde into a friendly embrace, taking care not to jostle him too much.

"Armin, I could never just abandon you like that. And stop saying you're a burden, it isn't true. I tried to tell you that last night, but…"he trailed off a bit, regretting his implication that Armin had been too shit faced to remember anything said the previous evening. "Anyway, please stop blaming yourself for what happened, it's no one's fault. I don't want to hear anymore about it, ok? So let's just put it behind us and try to get on with our lives."

Armin pulled back away from the hug, sniffling and wiping tears from his face. He nodded and gave a tired smile. He slowly tried to rise to his feet, wobbling a bit and using Eren's shoulder for support before finally steadying himself. He plopped down onto the edge of the bed, swaying a bit as his head swam from the sudden movement before focusing his attention back on Eren. The brunette joined him on bed, kicking his feet back and forth to occupy himself as the blonde gathered his thoughts. It was a few minutes before Armin finally broke the comfortable silence that had settled between them.

"Oh! Eren, I almost forgot to tell you, tonight is the night that everyone will be deciding what military division to join. Mikasa and I are going to try for the Scouting Legion of course. That is, if they still want me here after all that's happened, haha," Armin rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, a bit of pink dusting his cheeks. Eren's eyes widened in surprise.

"I completely forgot about that. I wonder who else is considering joining the Scouting Legion? It doesn't seem to be a very popular choice these days, but I really think that everyone in our squad has what it takes to make it outside of the walls," he said, a fond smile appearing on his lips as he thought of his comrades. Armin's expression darkened a bit and he heaved a sigh.

"Maybe, I just don't know if any of them are willing to risk everything for humanity's sake without hesitation like you, Eren. To be honest, I don't think any of them besides Mikasa have the courage to face the titans on their own turf. We can only hope that they choose to join the only division that's made any progress in trying to understand the titans and find a way to eliminate them."

Eren's hopeful spirit wasn't deterred by Armin's statements. It only served to strengthen his resolve and his belief that the Scouting Legion would be the key to defeating the titans. Whether his comrades held the same belief mattered little, although he secretly hoped that at least some of them did.

"Do you think Jean will end up joining the Military Police like he'd planned?" Eren asked, leaning back on his hands and studying the ceiling. It was looking a little worse for wear, cobwebs and crumbling stone making up a large area of its surface. Armin let out a small chuckle.

"I suppose so. He seemed so dead set on it; I can't imagine why he'd change his mind. Annie said that she was planning to join them too. It's kind of a shame, with her hand to hand combat skills she could quickly climb the ranks of the Legion without even trying. I guess the Military Police need recruits too, even though after the way they treated you in the courtroom I think even less of them than I did before."

Eren frowned a little.

"Ah, yeah. People tend to fear what they don't understand, Armin. I don't even understand myself, so how can I expect others to?" Eren's brow furrowed as the same self doubt from earlier began to creep into the edges of his mind. Armin's face contorted with anger at Eren's self depreciating words.

"That's still no reason to try and shoot you! They're idiots! Stupid sheep that can't see how amazing you are! They called you a monster! They deserve to be shut down!" Armin replied, exasperation evident in his voice as he gave his friend a pained look. Eren flinched a bit at the volume of Armin's voice, now practically a shout.

"Armin, calm down. They are stupid sheep, yes, but there's nothing we can do to change that besides show them that they're wrong, and I intend to do just that," he replied, confidence beginning to build within him. Armin nodded and a ghost of a smile appeared on his lips.

"Still, I didn't think they'd stoop so low as to send an assassin after me. Then there's the question of why he decided to attack you instead," Eren scrunched his face, thinking out loud and mentally kicking himself for bringing up the very subject he'd told Armin to forget just moments before.

The blonde didn't seem to mind, his gaze once again fixed on the dusty ceiling. He looked thoughtful for a moment before replying, "I don't know, Eren. Maybe it wasn't the Military Police that sent him. Think about it, why would they risk jeopardizing their esteemed reputation for a petty act of revenge? I don't think this was the work of the Military Police, or at least not the entire division. They're way too cautious for that. I think the assassination attempt might have been orchestrated by a select few members, if anything."

Eren contemplated this for a moment. "That sounds believable, I guess. I would hope that they don't _all_ want me dead," he replied, forcing a laugh to lighten the mood. It didn't seem to work, but Armin appreciated the gesture. The blonde figured a change of subject was the next best course of action.

"There's something else I forgot to tell you yesterday. It's part of the reason I decided to come here. Well, and to deliver your present, of course," he added hastily, trying not to imply that seeing Eren wasn't a good enough reason to travel so far. Eren just nodded and waited for his friend to continue. "There's been some…unsettling rumors going around lately, mainly amongst the refugees of Wall Maria. I didn't catch all the details, but apparently there's been talk of cult activities going on within the walls."

Confusion flickered across Eren's face as he tried to make sense of the information. "A cult? You mean those weirdos that worship the walls? They've been around for a while now."

Armin shook his head vehemently. "No, they aren't about the wall religion. The rumors say this cult is just now emerging and that they may be up something. Some refugees went missing a few nights ago without a trace. The more extreme belief is that the cult has been sacrificing people to the titans, but it's pretty much a baseless rumor right now. No conclusive evidence has been found." When the blonde finished his sentence Eren looked at his friend as if he'd grown a second head.

"Wow, that's…disturbing. Why would anyone sacrifice other people to the titans? That's just insane," Eren said, his tone incredulous. It was beyond his comprehension why anyone in their right mind would willingly watch another human being get devoured by those monsters. Watching his own mother get eaten before his very eyes had been traumatizing enough and he couldn't imagine anyone taking pleasure in the sight. He was pulled from his thoughts, however, when Armin began to sway on the spot.

"Armin! Are you okay?" He caught blonde before he tumbled from the bed. "I think you need to get some rest. We can talk about this more later, okay?"

Armin began to protest before a wave of nausea hit him and he laid back, nodding hesitantly. "Yeah…I guess. I'm sorry, Eren. Will you promise to wake me up before the ceremony tonight?"

Eren smiled softly. "Of course. I'll be around, so don't worry and get some sleep. I'll come check on you in a few hours." Armin was already drifting off as he mumbled a reply.

Eren rose from his spot on the bed and stalked out of the room quietly, making sure not to slam the door as he departed.

_Time to find the Corporal and apologize for everything._

* * *

Levi had made his way to the stables around noon, not particularly hungry enough to bother eating lunch with the rest of his squad. He sought peace and quiet, a place to collect his thoughts, and he certainly wasn't going to find it in a dining hall full of rowdy soldiers. He walked the familiar path to Onyx's stall, hearing the stallion's familiar nicker from a distance. When he arrived in front of the stall he was greeted by a very excited Onyx, who wasted no time in sniffing his master's hands in search of a treat. Levi chuckled a bit at the display.

"Is that all I'm good for, bringing you a midday snack?" He patted Onyx's nose, the feel of the soft velvety texture under his fingers having a calming effect. He pulled half of an apple out of his pocket and fed it to the eagerly awaiting horse, who crunched it up greedily. After Onyx finished the snack Levi put a halter over his nose and ears, buckling it in place before opening the stall and leading him out. He tied the lead rope to a nearby post and collected some grooming supplies from the store room.

It was customary for Levi to brush all the grass, twigs and tangles out of the horse's mane and tail after every ride. After their little excursion through the forest the day before there was much work to be done to make Onyx look presentable. Levi would have brushed him sooner, however he'd had the whole assassin matter to deal with.

Levi heaved a weary sigh as he began to run a brush through the tangles of Onyx's tail. They were making no progress with the man. It wouldn't have been quite as infuriating if he'd just refused to talk, but often times he acted as if he had no clue what had transpired that day. Whether he was faking it or if he actually had some kind of amnesia due to his wounds Levi couldn't say. All he knew was that his patience was wearing incredibly thin and he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep himself from strangling the lunatic to death. If he had been a lesser man the stress of it all would have likely driven him to drink.

However, Levi had given up alcohol long ago. He had learned that it brought nothing but misery upon the drinker and those around him. He wasn't one to drown his sorrows. He would rather face them head on and find a healthy way to cope, a way that wouldn't interfere with his judgment. He'd found solace in spending time with Onyx, and that had become his coping mechanism ever since. The horse needed human interaction, to be shown that not all people were like the man that Levi had rescued him from. They were alike in that they had both been broken before, and only recently started to become whole once again.

Onyx nibbled on a patch of grass by the wooden post, not paying Levi any attention. He'd been less than agreeable the first few times Levi had attempted to brush him, but now it was routine. After a few minutes of brushing, the leaves and twigs in Onyx's tail dislodged themselves and fell to the ground next to his hooves. Levi continued to brush it until the raven hair became silky smooth.

Onyx only stopped his munching long enough to look up and nicker at someone approaching from behind. Levi stiffened, his expression turning from delightfully peaceful to annoyed as soon as he heard the sound of footsteps.

_Damn it, just when I was finally starting to relax. It better not be Hanj, I told her not to disturb me until this evening._

He didn't bother looking back before replying, continuing to brush Onyx.

"Whoever it is, if it isn't important, leave. I'm off duty until this evening."

A familiar boyish voice answered him. "Um…Corporal? Sorry to bother you, but I need to talk to you about something. Don't worry, it isn't work related."

Levi glanced out of the corner of his eye and spotted Eren standing a few feet behind him, hand over his heart in salute as he bowed. Levi rolled his eyes a bit. Normally he'd be proud that one of his recruits was showing him respect, but right now he felt nothing but agitation at the gesture.

"Drop the formalities, Jaeger. Neither of us are on duty. I thought I told you to go find something productive to do. I fail to see how this is productive. Now, what is it that you need to say to me?" Levi asked, cleaning the hair and debris from the brush and not giving Eren a second glance. The brunette relaxed his stance back to normal as he approached Levi cautiously; ready to run if it looked like the Corporal was getting annoyed.

"Well…I, um…that is…err…" he stumbled over his words, stuttering and searching for the courage to say his piece. This only served to irritate Levi, and he turned to face the brunette with a scowl on his face. He was about to berate the boy for wasting his time until he saw the pitiful Eren was giving him. His cheeks were flushed and he was fisting the fabric of his pants in nervousness. Levi's expression softened as he heaved out a sigh.

"Spit it out, brat. If you want to say something, say it. I'm not in the mood for violence today so you're safe," he replied in a tired voice, rubbing his temples with one hand.

Eren took that as the signal to keep talking before Levi grew tired of listening. He gathered his courage before finally confessing. "I just wanted to apologize for last night, sir. I should never have spoken to you that way. I was out of line in my speech and my actions, and I just hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me." As he finished his sentence Eren clenched his fists at his sides, knuckles turning white from the effort. He bit his lip and cast his gaze downward, readying himself for the Corporal's reply.

Levi raised one thin eyebrow and crossed his arms, tossing the brush he'd been holding into a bucket resting in the stall.

"Oh? You're telling me that you regret your actions and you want to beg for my forgiveness, is that it?" Eren nodded slowly and he continued, "Well, I hate to disappoint you Jaeger, but I've already decided on a punishment befitting your insubordination."

Eren winced a bit at the statement. He should have expected this kind of reaction, but that didn't make accepting it any easier.

"Of course, sir. Whatever punishment you see fit to dole out is fine with me. I deserve it, after all," he replied decisively, closing his eyes as if he were about to take a heavy blow. Levi wasn't really all that upset with the boy for his actions the previous night, but it was certainly fun to pretend.

"Very well. Your punishment is to listen to Hanji talk about titans for the rest of the evening," he replied, his serious expression not matching the playfulness of his words. Eren forced open one eye, looking at the Corporal with uncertainty, as if the statement was just a joke to disarm him and the real punishment would come when he least expected it. After a moment of nothing happening, he opened the other eye and gave Levi quizzical look.

"Um…sir? Are you serious?" he asked, his turquoise eyes growing comically wide.

Levi rolled his own steel grey eyes before shooting Eren an annoyed look. "No, brat. It was a joke. I wouldn't wish that woman on my worst enemy."

"Oh," was the only thing Eren could think to say.

_Was the Corporal telling a joke? I must be losing it._

When Levi saw the dumbfounded look on Eren's face he decided to ease the boy's troubled mind by explaining despite his inner protests that this was an utter waste of time.

"Look, do you honestly think that you're the first underling that has spoken to me in a disrespectful way? As much as it would benefit the military if soldiers were trained dogs that never talked back and obeyed without question, that simply isn't the case. Humans are not dogs, we have a higher cognitive ability which unfortunately often results in letting our emotions outweigh our logical thinking. Besides, a soldier that never questions orders is a soldier that never thinks for themselves, and that kind of soldier is of no use to me."

Eren mulled over the Corporal's words, letting them sink in slowly. He just couldn't accept being let off that easily, however. Whether he was a masochist, or he was just feeling extremely guilty, he couldn't be sure.

"But if I hadn't disobeyed you this never would have happened!" he protested, a look of inner turmoil appearing on his features.

"Perhaps not, however I do believe that the assassin would have found you either way," Levi replied, patting Onyx on the nose and looking at Eren out of the corner of his eye.

"But at least Armin wouldn't have been involved," Eren said, his voice tembling,"If it had just been me I could have turned into a titan and-" he was cut off by a stern look from Levi.

"You would have killed him and possibly many innocents along with him."

"But I-" Eren continued, despite the glare it earned him.

"Jaeger." Levi said in a low warning tone. It wasn't enough to stop the boy's rant, however.

"Armin got hurt and it's all my fault. I shouldn't have-"

"Jaeger."

"And the way I threw myself at you in your office…I'm a complete disgrace…"

"Jaeger."

"You probably think I'm disgusting-"

"_Eren."_

The mention of his first name gave Eren pause. He stared in disbelief at Levi, whose eyes were narrowed in anger. For perhaps the first time in his life, Eren was completely speechless.

_Did I hear him correctly? Did he just call me Eren? Not Jaeger, or shitty brat? I must be delusional._

* * *

Sorry to leave it in such a weird spot. I promise it won't be as long for the next chapter to come out. Hope you enjoyed! Please review when you get a chance!


	11. Chapter 11

Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay, my first week of school was very hectic and stressful. I promise to update at least once a week though, so don't worry! I'm sorry if the chapters lately have seemed boring and uneventful, it's just building up to events that are to come. I promise you some action next chapter! I hope you won't get discouraged by the lack of smut. Believe me, it is coming, and it will be long. Just look at my oneshot, Birthday Suit. 6k+ words of pure smut, haha.

Thanks for sticking with this story. As always, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

"_Eren."_

The mention of his first name gave Eren pause. He stared in disbelief at Levi, whose eyes were narrowed in anger. For perhaps the first time in his life, Eren was completely speechless.

_Did I hear him correctly? Did he just call me Eren? Not Jaeger, or shitty brat? I must be delusional._

The brunette's stunned silence was evidence enough that Levi had finally gotten through to him. Eren seemed utterly shocked at the use of his first name. Levi had expected it to get the boy's attention, but not make him go into a stupor, emerald eyes comically wide with surprise. After a few seconds of searching Eren for some kind of reaction Levi grew tired of the stupid look on the teen's face and decided to initiate a conversation.

"Well? Are you finished?"

"You…called me Eren," the brunette began, his voice low as if he was whispering it to himself.

"No shit. That's your name, isn't it?" Levi remarked snidely, crossing his arms over his chest and knitting his thin black eyebrows together in annoyance.

"Well yeah but…you almost never call me by my first name," Eren stated, his eyes still wide with shock.

Levi scowled a bit. He'd remembered addressing Eren by his first name at least once. Perhaps the memory escaped the boy due to the trauma of the trial, or maybe he was just a forgetful idiot; either way, it wasn't the first time the brunette's name had crossed his lips. It was unimportant, however, and Levi didn't like to waste time on trivial things.

"Well, I'm calling you by it now, so congratulations. Now let's stop wasting time with bullshit. I've already told you to just forget about speaking out of turn, what is done is done. Obviously you've learned something from the experience, so I see no need to drag it out any further than that," he gave Eren a flat stare, his expression turning impassive.

Levi decided that it was time to get back to the matter at hand, the reason for the teen's visit in the first place. Honestly, Levi should have found the encounter from the previous night utterly disgusting, especially because he'd been propositioned by a male subordinate. He should have throttled Eren mercilessly for speaking to him like one of his little friends, and he should have immediately rejected any advances the teen made. He'd rejected countless other offers for sexual favors, so why had it been so hard to resist this time? What in the world made this unremarkable looking brat any different?

Maybe it was the boy's unbreakable spirit; maybe it was his determination, courage, willpower and absolute refusal to accept failure as an option. Levi hated cowards and people who gave up without a fight. He'd also always had trouble accepting things for how they were without questioning the how's and why's of the situation. The fact that his own emotions could feel so very foreign did not sit well with him. He was supposed to be cold, hardened and immune to any emotions that could distract him from his goal of defeating the titans.

It was foolish to believe that Eren could genuinely hold similar feelings for someone like Levi; it was even more foolish to believe that anything good could possibly come of a relationship with the teen.

It was time to put an end to this...liaison before it could grow into something far bigger and much more inappropriate. He steered the conversation back onto the subject.

"As for your other concerns, do you honestly think that you're the first recruit that's showered me with misdirected teenage hormones? I don't know whether you're just desperate because you're young and willing to fuck anything that moves, or if you're trying to garner a few favors by sleeping with me; honestly, I really don't care. Fraternization is frowned upon in this organization, and I deeply regret misleading you and entertaining any lewd ideas you have floating inside that thick skull of yours. You are not the only one who crossed a well established line; I should have rejected you outright, and for that I apologize. So, just forget about whatever the hell kind of feelings you've convinced yourself that you hold for me and return to your duties," Levi ordered nonchalantly, turning his attention back to his previous task and untying Onyx from his hitching post and starting off for the corral to let the horse get his daily exercise.

The conversation was supposed to have ended there; he should have walked away from Eren, leaving the teen's hopes of getting laid crushed into tiny pieces while burying his own feelings deep within, to never again see the light of day. If Levi lived in an ideal world, that it is how it should have been. However, the world he lived in was far from perfect, and things never did seem to go the way they should.

As he'd turned to walk away, Eren had instinctively crossed the gap between them and roughly grabbed Levi's wrist in one fluid movement. The older male had not been expecting the sudden touch, and he had to fight his natural instinct to fight, to break Eren's arm and pin him to the ground, a blade at his neck. He managed to settle for conveying his displeasure at the gesture with a searing glare, eyes narrowed and practically burning holes into the brunette.

Eren's body had seemed to move of its own accord, his mind not able to keep up with his reflexes as he grabbed Levi's wrist without thinking. It was only when he glimpsed the look of absolute seething rage on the older male's face that Eren realized what he had done. His ocean colored eyes grew wide, and he wanted to drop the appendage in his hand as if was a hot piece of metal that was about to melt his flesh from his bones. However, he knew that if he backed down now he would never get another chance to set things right between them.

"W..wait! What makes you think that I have some kind ulterior motive? Do you really think I'm that shallow?" Eren blurted out without giving much thought to how much shit he was probably already in for manhandling his superior officer.

Eren was expecting some kind of negative reaction; a punch in the face, a kick in the gut. The fact that he wasn't doubling over in pain by now was encouraging. It must have meant that Levi was at least semi listening to him, and that was all he could really hope for at the moment.

Levi's glare did not soften, in fact the anger and irritation behind it seemed to grow with every passing second. Eren swallowed a lump that had begun to form in his throat and wished that his stomach would stop tying itself into knots. Levi glowered at Eren's hand as if was the most vile, insidious thing he'd ever laid eyes on. It took every ounce of self control within him not to break the offending appendage right then and there.

"I hardly know you, Jaeger. Are you going to try to convince me that you're actually attracted to me? I'm no fool. I'm nearly twice your age. Then there's the fact that you apparently "don't swing that way". So, what possible interest could a brat like you have in me?"

Eren was more than a little dismayed that Levi had relapsed back into adressing him by his last name. For now, however, he would have to push the thought to the furthest recesses of his mind to avoid distraction from the real issue.

He flushed a bit at the recollection of claiming that he had no interest in males. He should have known it would come back to bite him in the ass."I…I don't know. I have no idea why this happened, I'm just as confused about it as you are. You've always been someone that I could look up to…and that hasn't changed," Eren's eyes were shining with something akin to admiration. Levi couldn't help but roll his eyes at the cheesiness of the statement.

"So it's hero worship, then? What is it exactly that you want from me? Do you want me to coddle you and tell you that it's okay to lust after your superior officer? Not going to happen," Levi stated flatly, face shifting back to its usual indifferent expression.

"No. I just want you to forgive me. Look, I don't know what the hell I really want, all I know is that I'm not letting you leave here thinking that I'm only trying to manipulate you, because it isn't true," Eren stated flatly. A look of determination graced his features, brows furrowed and eyes fixated on Levi. The older man was inwardly cringing at the sweat that had begun to build underneath the palm of the hand Eren was using to hold onto his wrist. If he wanted the brat to let go of him without resorting to violence he supposed he would have to appease him.

"I suppose you're not going to let me go until I say something to satiate you, correct? I could force you to let go, maybe even snap your wrist in two, but then you're so obstinate that you'd probably find another way to back me into a corner until I listened to you. Unless I kill you, of course. But I don't suppose Erwin would be too pleased with me after that. So, I only have one nugget of advice for you. It's up to you whether or not you accept it," Levi looked straight into Eren's fierce turquoise eyes, unflinching.

"This is the real world, no one is going to hand everything to you on a silver platter. If you want something, quit being a complete imbecile and _take it,_" Levi put an emphasis on his last two words, a serious look akin to the one he usually wore when he was in the heat of battle on his face. Eren was more than a little taken aback at the response and instinctively released Levi's wrist like he was holding onto the tail of an angry beast about to strike. Before he could so much as open his mouth in response Levi was leading Onyx away in the direction of the corral, green cape billowing in the slight breeze that had suddenly picked up.

Eren was completely bewildered. He watched Levi saddle up Onyx and mount him with ease before urging him through the corral gate. As the horse began to move Levi bounced a bit on top of him before steadying himself. It was a wonder that the man could even reach the stirrups. Watching Levi's hips and hind end bouncing up and down provocatively on a horse was not what he needed right now. He looked down and the hand that had grasped the older male's wrist. It still tingled a bit from the almost electrical contact of their skin. Levi was strong, that much was certain, but his wrist had felt so very small and fragile in Eren's hand that it was hard to believe it had belonged to the Corporal. It only served to prove that humanity's strongest solider was not unbreakable.

Eren mulled over Levi's last words to him before departing.

_If I want something, take it? Was that…an invitation? I'm so confused._

Before he had time to ponder what had just transpired any further his thoughts were interrupted by a familiar baritone voice.

"Oi! Eren! Can I speak to you for a moment?"

Eren turned his attention in the direction of the voice and spotted Mike walking in his direction, waving one arm in greeting. The brunette continued to stare at him, still slightly dumbfounded from the events prior, and before he knew it Mike was standing before him, studying his features and taking a whiff of the air around him. The odd habit seemed to snap Eren back to reality.

"Oh! Good morning, Mike! Um…what was it that you needed to talk to me about?" he inquired, shirking away from the man's sniffing and putting some distance between them. It didn't matter how many times it happened, the sniffing thing still creeped him out. Mike didn't seem the least bit perturbed, however.

"Hmm…it smells like the Corporal. Was he here?" It was more of a rhetorical question, really. Mike never mixed up scents. This made Eren wonder just what exactly the Corporal smelled like. He shook his head to rid himself of the thought.

Eren just nodded slightly, looking more than a little distracted. Mike just decided to ignore it; it wasn't his job to babysit new recruits.

"Anyway, Hanji sent me to find you. The prisoner is being less than cooperative with Corporal Levi, and we've hit a major wall in our investigation progress. She seems to think that an interrogation by you would be much more effective than the Corporal's for some reason. I was instructed to convince you to comply by any means necessary."

Eren, for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, looked completely taken aback at the order. "Me? But why? Why would that psychopath open up to his supposed victim?" The brunette was completely baffled by the thought. Would the man just taunt him some more? Or try to finish what he started and attempt to murder him? Mike shrugged, indifferent to the whole situation.

"Hell if I know. No one can understand why that woman thinks the way she does, but the fact is that she's the smartest member of the Scouting Legion, and she is our top researcher on the titans for a reason, so I try not to question it, and you shouldn't either. So, just grit your teeth and bear it, ok?" Mike stated, slapping Eren on the back gently. With that the strange man took his leave and headed in the direction of the castle.

Eren looked thoughtful for a moment. He was most certainly not ready to face that lunatic again, and his heart was already beginning to pound in his chest. He tried not to let his nervousness show as he began walking in the direction of the infirmary. He'd been far too distracted to notice Auruo, Gunter and Petra watching him from a distance from a tiny outdoor table. They'd been witness to the entire exchange between Eren and Levi, although they had been too far away to hear just what was said. It had been an entertaining show, nonetheless.

Auruo snorted, a look of irritation on his face. "Just who does that brat think he is, chatting up the Corporal so casually? Most of us never get a one on one conversation with him, so what makes the new guy so special?"

Petra shot him a disapproving look, her mouth in a pout. "Don't call him a brat, Auruo! Eren is really nice. Maybe he just needed to ask the Corporal something," she suggested, taking a sip of tea and crossing her legs. She really did enjoy their rare days off. It was one of the few times that she actually felt like a lady, and not some mud covered grunt in the military.

"Yeah, Auruo," Gunter added, "lighten up. It's not like the Corporal treats him any different from the rest of us."

Auruo made a tsk noise and folded his arms over each other in disapproval. "But did you see how he just grabbed the Corporal so casually? If any of us tried that we'd be dead! Now tell me that isn't special treatment!" he shouted exasperatedly, waving his arms around to emphasize his point. The others just rolled their eyes and ignored his outburst, focusing instead on their midday tea. This only seemed to add fuel to the fire, however.

"Fine! I can see that you two aren't taking this seriously! Well, I'll prove to you that there's some kind of special relationship between that brat and the Corporal, just you wait!" With that he stormed off in the direction of the castle, leaving Gunter and Petra to finish their tea in peace.

* * *

"Checkmate! Oh, you're good at this, Rook! No one's been able to beat me at chess in years! It's so much fun to have someone competant to play with!"

In the quarantine ward of the infirmary sat Hanji Zoe, a chess board complete with all the pieces spread out on a small table in front of her. To pass the time, and despite Rook being unable to move his arms, Hanji had insisted on a game of chess. It served as exercise for the mind, plus she'd always enjoyed the game but more often than not others refused to challenge her because of her prowess. When she'd casually mentioned the game in passing she hadn't been expecting the youth to be interested. When he'd told her that he had been an avid chess player, she had been elated.

Rook grinned widely and attempted to bow as best he could, his deep red hair forming a curtain around his face. "It was a pleasure, Ms. Smart Glasses. This one enjoys a good challenge, it keeps the mind sharp."

She'd managed to make the game work by having Rook tell her where to move his pieces. Currently her King had been captured and she couldn't be more pleased with the fact. Rook remained chained to the wall and resting on his tiny cot, still shirtless and looking a bit worse for the wear from lack of food. Hanji had tried her best to sneak him a piece of stale bread from the previous day's dinner but the guards had been warned that she might attempt such a thing and she'd been caught red handed.

Virtually everyone disapproved of her making friends with a dangerous criminal, Levi included. He'd warned her that the man was clearly insane and did not deserve any semblance of kindness. Despite his protests Hanji had continued to hold conversations with the man. She found him utterly fascinating, almost as much as she found titans fascinating, and that was saying something. His speech, his thought patterns, they were all unusual and warranted further study, and she was certainly not one to pass up on a chance to obtain such a specimen.

Try as she might, she could not convince Levi to take a different approach in interrogating the man, and so their progress had come to a screeching halt. Indeed, she should have attempted to interrogate Rook herself, however in her eyes that meant betraying his trust and losing a potentially remarkable subject. When she had noticed the youth's reaction to Eren's name after mentioning him in passing a light bulb seemed to turn on in her head, and the wheels in her mind couldn't stop turning. She'd surmised that if Rook held some level of reverence or fascination for the boy, then perhaps he would be more willing to open up and divulge his secrets if Eren was the one to question him.

It was certainly worth a shot.

"Hey Rook, how would you like it if I brought you a visitor today, hmm? You must get tired of just me and Corporal Levi all the time, right?" she asked, a playful look gracing her unique features. Rook tilted his head to the side in question, golden eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"A visitor? For this one? But this one is a prisoner, not a patient," he mused, smirking slightly. Despite his apparent lack of a sound mind he was rather witty and never slow on the uptake.

Hanji giggled and dismissed his concerns with a wave, "I know, I know, and I'm technically not supposed to let anyone near here that isn't Erwin, Levi or myself, however, rules were made to be broken, Rook." She smiled mischievously and gave him a playful wink. Rook studied her quizzically.

"Who is this visitor you speak of?"

Hanji's grin grew impossibly wide and she remarked, "now now, if I told you it'd ruin the surprise! Let's just say he's someone you might have met before." This piqued the man's curiosity. However, just as he was about to inquire further, a knock came at the door to the infirmary. Hanji rose from her seat and clapped her hands.

"Ah! Right on cue! Be right back, Rook!" she exclaimed and practically skipped over to answer the door.

* * *

Eren swallowed hard as he stood in front of the large wooden front door of the infirmary. He bit his lip out of habit, chewing on it a bit and contemplating whether he should knock or not. He supposed there really wasn't a way to get out of it, especially because it was Hanji who had summoned him. The woman could be more persistent than a starving mosquito sometimes, and she was certain to come looking for him if he didn't show. He heaved a sigh and gathered all of his courage before knocking hesitantly.

A gruff looking man that he'd never seen before answered the door, immediately looking down at him with disdain.

"What?" His voice was rough and none too pleasant on the ears. He scrutinized Eren quietly as the boy shrunk back a bit under his searing gaze.

"Uh, I was told that Major Hanji wanted to see me… "

"…"

No response came from the grizzled fellow and Eren began to get uncomfortable, shifting his weight between feet a bit to distract himself. After what seemed like an eternity of awkward silence the man finally relented, pushing the door open wide and motioning for Eren to enter. The brunette didn't need to be told twice, and he quickly crossed the threshold into the infirmary.

"It's the room at the very end, on the right. Major Hanji is expecting you, do not keep her waiting," the gruff man barked before taking his former guard spot by the front door. Eren was grateful to be rid of the unpleasant man and took a quick look at his surroundings.

The infirmary was nothing more than one enormous room. It was eerily quiet. Eren's eyes drifted over the numerous cots lined against the walls. Only a handful were actually occupied at the moment with sick or injured soldiers being tended to by the medical staff. It was quite different from the noisy, unsanitary infirmary conditions back at the training barracks. The air inside was not at all stifling, and aside from a few bloody bandages strewn under one patient's cot the place seemed rather clean.

He made his way past the cots, trying not to stare at the various patients and their gruesome illnesses or injuries. He covered his mouth with his cape, taking care not to breath in any potential pathogens into his lungs. He couldn't afford to catch something now, with everyone depending on him. He spotted his destination and marched up to the large wooden door. On its surface was a simple bronze plaque stating "Patient Quarantine. Express permission required upon entry."

_This is it. Behind this door lies the man who tried to kill Armin. I don't want to see him again, but this may be my only chance to find out why he did it. I've gotta be strong for Armin, for everyone. No matter what he says or does, I can't let him get to me. The titans are far more formidable than a mere human, there's no reason to be afraid. He will pay for what he's done, I swear it._

With courage and determination swelling within, Eren brought his hand up and knocked on the door. It wasn't long before the door was thrown open and Hanji appeared before him, a lot of pure jubilation on her face. It was almost as if she'd been standing in front of the door. Waiting. Like a weirdo.

"Eren! So glad you make it! Please, come in, come in!"

Before he had time to respond, Eren felt himself being dragged by the arm into the room. Immediately upon entering the distinct, coppery smell of blood and stale sweat invaded his nostrils and he wrinkled his nose in distaste. Two oil lamps illuminated the small area, and Eren's eyes drifted across the room before he finally spotted the assassin sitting on a cot in the corner, arms chained behind him. Eren bristled at the sight, the hair on the back of his neck standing up.

The other male looked just as surprised as him, if not more so. His golden eyes widened and his mouth upturned into a playful grin.

"We meet again, Eren Jaeger, or should I say monster boy?" The youth let out a facetious chuckle, clearly pleased with himself for coming up with such a creative nickname.

Eren glowered, his eyes full of fury and his teeth clenched in anger. It took all of his willpower to keep from strangling the man. Hanji intervened, placing herself between the two and putting her hands on Eren's shoulders to stop him from advancing.

"Whoa, Eren! Calm down. I know that you and our friend here don't have the most pleasant history, but please, try your best to set that aside for now," she lowered her voice so that Rook would not overhear them, "please, the Corporal has tried almost everything to get some information from him, but he's had no luck. I would question him but he needs someone who he thinks he can trust just in case he decides to confess out of guilt. So please, just ignore his name calling and do your best to have a conversation."

Eren clenched his fists at his sides and looked into Hanji's eyes, searching for some hint of truth to her words. Surely she wouldn't make him interact with the man just for her amusement, right? It was really for the greater good, right? After a moment of deliberating Eren nodded slightly and Hanji released her grip on his shoulders, a satisfied smile crossing her lips.

"Thank you so much, Eren. I'm sure that the Corporal will appreciate your efforts."

Eren looked away from her, frowning. "Yeah, sure."

"Great! Now I'll leave you two alone so that you can talk in private, okay? I'll be right outside the door, but don't worry, they're so thick you can't really hear what's going on anyway," she added, looking rather pleased with herself. Eren didn't feel reassured, however.

"Wait, you're leaving me alone with this…psychopath? Are you sure that's wise, Hanji-san?"

She dismissed the teen's concerns with a wave of her hand. "Oh, don't worry so much, Eren. He's chained to the wall, and believe me, those shackles cannot be broken easily. They're the same kind we used to restrain you when we feared that you would transform. If they can hold back your nearly titan strength, they can hold a normal man,"she gasped suddenly as a thought popped into her head,"Oh, I forgot to introduce you two, silly me! Well, introduce you again, anyway. Eren, this is Rook. He only recently told me his name."

She glanced back at the redhead and waved. He nodded in acknowledgement. "Well, I'm just gonna leave you two alone, then! Have fun!" Hanji promptly exited the room, gently closing the door behind her and throwing Eren to the wolves. He heaved a sigh and hesitantly walked closer to Rook, still maintaining a safe distance as he pulled up a chair next to the man's cot. He plopped into the hard wooden seat and studied the youth before him, taking in every detail from the color of his hair to the scars on his pale white chest.

The young man certainly hadn't been what Eren had expected. The hooded man in the forest had seemed almost inhuman, and yet here he was in the flesh, only slightly older than Eren himself and built almost the same, his body lithe and toned. Certainly not the typical picture of a psychopath that Eren had conjured in his mind. Rook had been studying him in turn, his eyes never looking away from Eren. There was a long moment of silence before Eren finally collected his thoughts and calmed himself enough to speak rationally. His heart pounded in his ears as he began to speak.

"Look, I'm not here to chat with you, or make friends, or whatever the hell it is Hanji expects us to be doing right now. I was hoping the injuries you received would have been fatal, but I should have known that you'd survive. It's always the ones who least deserve to live that seem to survive. I want to kill you right now, more than words can say, but I feel that death would be too merciful for scum like you. So I won't waste my time breathing the same air as you longer than I have to. All I want from you is an explanation."

Eren's tone was low and dangerous, resembling the way it had sounded before he turned into a titan. It sounded rather intimidating, coming from someone like him. Any sane person would have shirked away from him, but alas, as proven many times over, Rook was far from a sane man. Instead of his usual smug grin, however, he wore a look of genuine puzzlement.

"Explanation? This one doesn't know what monster boy is referring to."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Eren shot up from his place on the chair and stormed over to the side of the cot, glaring down at the redheaded youth with pure malice. "Don't you dare call me a monster when you're the one who tried to murder my best friend!" He was practically boiling over with rage now, and had the man been wearing a shirt, he would be shaking him by the collar of it.

Rook did not flinch at the outburst, instead tilting his head to the side in curiosity, his molten gold eyes studying Eren's face. Luckily he decided to comply with Eren's request to address him differently without protesting.

"This one does not know what Jaeger refers to. This one does not remember being ordered to murder anyone, only to capture Jaeger's friends. Why would this one try kill them?" He seemed genuinely curious.

Eren was flabbergasted. He had expected the man to be snide, proud of what he'd done and taunting him, not seemingly clueless. He was not going to go along with this charade, however.

"Don't act like you have no idea what I'm talking about! You tried to kill Armin, I watched you do it! And why are you referring to yourself like that? You seemed perfectly capable of normal speech when you were holding a knife to my friend's neck," he spat, venom practically dripping from his words. The audacity of this lunatic was beginning to wear on him. No wonder Levi was more irked than usual lately.

Rook looked thoughtful for a moment before realization dawned on him. His mouth curved into a frown and he furrowed his brows, seemingly in deep concentration about something. After a moment of tense silence he spoke, "This one suspects that he knows why you believe him to be the one who tried to kill your friend. Sometimes this one loses control and the other one comes out. This one is sorry to say that he cannot remember anything that happens when the other takes over. This one had hoped that the other would not interfere this time. How very unfortunate."

The redhead looked genuinely disappointed in himself, which only served to confuse Eren further. Question after question popped into his mind, but his mouth had seemed to quit working and he could not bring himself to voice them.

_Is he serious? I knew he was crazy, but this…this is something on an entirely different level._

He shook his head to rid himself of the distracting thoughts before clenching his fists at his sides in anger.

"Look, Rook, or whatever the fuck your real name is, if you don't stop lying to me I will kill you, regardless of the consequences. I'm tired of playing games with you. Just tell me why you tried to kill Armin, you piece of shit!" Despite his best attempts at holding back his anger Eren was now shaking with rage.

Rook did not seemed phased by the insults, much to Eren's chagrin. Instead he looked downright depressed, eyes downcast and looking crestfallen. "This one is not lying, he swears his life on it. This one never intended to hurt Jaeger's friends, only to capture them. This one is not sure why the other would attempt such a thing. Perhaps it is because the other has a fascination with Jaeger due to the power inside of you."

Eren did not look surprised. The assassin had mentioned his powers before.

"You mean my titan powers. That still doesn't explain why "the other" tried to kill Armin. If you were sent to kill me, why involve him?"

Rook looked indignant at the statement, frowning in disappointment that Eren did not believe what he was saying.

"This one has told Jaeger, we were not sent to kill anyone."

Eren wasn't buying it. His voice rose a few octaves as he grew aggravated with the other male."If you weren't sent to assassinate me, then why? Why did you follow Armin?"

A look of pure fear crossed Rook's face before he answered."…this one would be severely punished if he spoke further of this matter."

"You'll be punished now if you don't, just tell me! You said you wanted to capture my friends, but why? What purpose would that serve? What use are they to you?"

Eren's efforts at getting answers proved futile as Rook's expression changed from one of fear and hesitation to serious concentration. Eren was ready to pull his hair out, and if Hanji hadn't been surely listening to every word through the door, he would have started beating the man into submission. It would have been easy, since he could not run or fight back, however Eren did not want to betray Hanji's trust that he would not get violent.

"Are you listening? Answer me!"

Rook seemed to be focused on some unseen entity, his brows furrowed and his mouth a solemn frown.

"…Jaeger, please listen to this one. You must go now, they are coming."

Eren could hardly believe the bullshit pouring out of the redhead's mouth and he groaned in exasperation.

"Don't fuck with me! You're trying to get out of answering my questions and I'm not going to fall for it."

He was not expecting those eyes of molten gold to bore into his own, almost seeming to look deep into his very soul. The look Rook gave him was unsettling, to say the least.

"This one has never been more serious. This one senses their presence, and they hunger."

"Who's they?" Eren's eyes widened in sudden realization," You mean the titans? How could you possibly know if there are any nearby?"

Rook seemed to ignore his second question, which only served to further his irritation. Nonetheless, the man had Eren's full attention now. A titan attack was a deadly serious matter, whether it was a false alarm or not. Despite the dense woods surrounding the castle they were still susceptible to attack, especially from smaller class titans and aberrants that could easily make their way through the undergrowth. Rook nodded in response before explaining further.

"That is what you call them, yes. Please listen to Rook. He never intended to harm your squeaky friend, and he doesn't intend to fool you. This one promises to tell Jaeger all he knows if you will listen to him just this once. They are approaching the forest from the east. This one has nothing left to lose, he would not lie."

_What should I do? If he's lying it'll be a waste of time and energy, but…if he isn't…innocent people could die, and it would be my fault for not warning anybody._

"…."

Eren was torn between sounding the alarm and looking like a complete fool for trusting a criminal, or ignoring the warning and potentially having the blood of the titan's victims stain his hands for the rest of his life. It was a seemingly easy decision, but one he made begrudgingly. He heaved a sigh before turning away from the redhead and walking towards the door to alert Hanji.

"Fine, but if this is some kind of trick I swear I will kill you with my bare hands."

"This one will gladly oblige you if he is mistaken," Rook said, his mouth upturned into a genuine smile. He watched as the brunette stormed away from him, a look of determination in his expressive ocean eyes.

_This one has never questioned his motives before he met you, Eren Jaeger. Let us hope that you could be the one to finally set us free._

As Eren approached the door he nearly jumped out of his skin when it burst open before he could get his hand on the doorknob. Hanji stood there, excitement evident in her body language and she nearly jumped for joy.

"I heard everything, Eren! The titans are coming! I knew this was going to be a good day! Come on, we've got to tell Corporal Levi and the others!" Once Eren's heart stopped pounding in his chest like a hammer he collected himself and saluted.

"Yes, Major Hanji!"

* * *

Levi rode Onyx in circles around the corral, occasionally changing from a trot to a canter and back again, working the horse's muscles enough to get some exercise but not enough to fatigue him. It was rather relaxing, especially after the heated conversation he'd had with Eren. Once Onyx began to break a sweat Levi slowed him to a walk and dismounted. Onyx whinnied in response, as if to say that he wasn't quite done, to which Levi replied with a pat on the nose.

"Don't worry, you'll get a chance to run soon enough. This place is far too cramped for you to gallop."

Levi led him back to the stables and began to remove the tack. Just as he'd finished removing the saddle he heard a familiar ear piercing female voice call out to him. He instantly stiffened and scowled at the sound.

_What else could I possibly have to endure today?_

"Corporal! Guess what! We've heard news of titans outside of the forest, isn't that great?!" Hanji said breathlessly, huffing from the exertion of running.

Levi reluctantly turned to face the irritating woman who was practically jumping for joy. Eren was following her, struggling to keep up with her sprinting and bending over to catch his breath once they stopped. Of all the things Levi had expected Hanji to bother him with, this had not been one of them.

"What? Titans haven't been spotted outside the forest since we've moved here. How did they find us and why the hell would they decide to attack us now?" His eyes narrowed as he tried to think of a reason that made sense. They'd sent out a morning patrol who had had no reports of titan activity in the area. It was incredibly strange that they would attack without provocation, unless…

"Were one of the scouts spotted?"

"Oh no, nothing like that! The scouts returned hours ago," Hanji responded cheerfully, as if it was a trivial matter not worth mentioning.

Levi's expression was imperceptible. Inside, he was boiling mad, and he had to contain his urge to throttle the scientist.

_I will not strangle her…I will not strangle her…_

After taking a few deep breaths Levi regained his composure and shot her an impatient look, expecting an explanation.

"Then how do you know that there are titans outside?"

"Because, Eren said so!" She slapped the boy on the back as she said his name, nearly making him lose his footing. Levi glanced over in Eren's direction and the brunette could practically feel those steel grey eyes boring holes into him. He waved his arms in protest.

"W-what?! No I didn't! It was that guy…Rook or whatever, that said it, sir! I swear!"

Levi was about to lose it, and it showed. He wore a look of murderous rage on his face and a vein in his forehead was practically ready to burst.

"You spoke with the prisoner? How the fuck did that happen?" He snapped his attention immediately towards Hanji, who shrunk a bit under his gaze. She rubbed the back of her neck and laughed nervously.

"Ah hahaha, well, you see, I knew that we weren't making progress with him, so…I thought that maybe Eren could get some valuable information out of him, that's all."

"Oh? And his valuable information was warning us about titans" Levi remarked snidely," I cannot believe the idiocy spewing from both of your mouths right now. A prisoner tells you some bullshit and you believe him?"

"But sir! He seemed to be genuinely serious…" Hanji began, but she was quickly interrupted by Levi's stern tone.

"The man is a complete lunatic, how the fuck do you know that he was being serious? Have you forgotten that he tried to murder Arlert? Or was that just an afterthought?"

It was Eren's turn to scowl, gathering his courage and standing before Levi, staring him straight in the eye without flinching. The boy definitely had balls.

"But what if he's telling the truth and we do nothing? People could die! I won't sit back and let that happen!" Eren protested, his voice taking on a desperate tone. Levi regarded him with a kind of look one would give a piece of gum on their shoe. An inconvenience.

"For all you know Jaeger he could be luring you into another trap."

Eren had finally reached the end of his rope. His patience had completely dissapated after the talk with Rook.

"Maybe he is, but I can't just sit here and do nothing. I'll go by myself if I have to!"

Without another word Eren stormed off in the direction of the castle to retrieve his maneuver gear. As Hanji and Levi watched his back grow smaller and smaller in the distance Levi heaved a sigh. Hanji placed a comforting hand on his shoulder as she spoke.

"You know we can't let him go alone, Levi. He might turn into a titan and go on a rampage, or even worse, get himself killed. If there are no titans I will take responsibility for wasting your time. Don't be angry with Eren, he only wants to do what's best for the Legion."

Levi closed his eyes and breathed through his nose. Those two idiots were going to be the death of him.

"…I know. Go gear up and alert the rest of my squad. We'll head out as soon as everyone is ready. Report our expedition to Erwin, and make sure he knows where we are. Have a squad sent behind us for backup in case anything happens. If this is a wild goose chase expect to be severely reprimanded," Levi barked, and Hanji saluted him return.

"Yes, Corporal! Right away!" With that the woman was off to do as instructed. Levi handed Onyx's reins to the stable master and instructed him to saddle several horses in preparation. Levi was genuinely happy that he'd decided to wear his maneuver gear today. He'd had to replace one of his foot straps and was working on breaking in the new material.

_So much for a relaxing day off._


	12. Chapter 12

Hello again, everyone! As a few of you may know I was working on my short pwp Evening Liasons this weekend, so I didn't get much of a chance to work on ASR. I apologize, I just felt like writing some dirty, raunchy sex haha.

Anyway, I hope people are still reading this o.o I have so many ideas of where I'd like to go with this fic and I hope you guys stick with me.

One thing I've noticed going back and looking through screenshots are that Eren's eyes are more blue-green/turquoise colored than green in his close-ups, so I've changed my story to reflect that.

Also, I usually don't like OC's unless they are really well written, and I don't really like pairing them up with any legit characters. Rook was a totally unexpected development when I started writing this story. Because I wanted an antagonist and because I wanted to develop an original plotline involving the characters of SNK without making it an AU, I had to come up with some baddies of my own. I hope it doesn't bother other people who may not like OC's, but I assure you, they are not self inserts so I hope you guys don't mind.

I plan to keep the OC's limited to 2 right now. I promise to give Rook more backstory soon.

Also, feel free to follow me on tumblr! I post ideas, delicious ereri and free! pics, and funny stuff. I'll also post status updates on how chapters are coming along as well. My url is www. Azshalade . tumblr. com without the spaces.

Alright, enough boring you to tears with my notes. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

(Because I'm too lazy to put that many quotation marks I italicized the voice's dialogue and left Rook's alone, so that you can follow who's talking)

_You fool, what have you done? You've just aided the very enemy you've sworn your entire life to eradicate._

The all too familiar voice rang inside his head, demanding his attention. It had been uncharacteristically silent since the incident, much to Rook's relief. The redheaded youth attempted to ignore the voice at first; delighted when he heard nothing but silence for a moment.

It was a short lived reprieve, however.

_Do not act like my words fall on deaf ears. Do you think she_ _will forgive you? You know that she despises the self-proclaimed heroes of the Scouting Legion._

But you tried to kill the hostage! If we had just captured him and taken him back to the Military Police we would not have suffered a near fatal wound and imprisonment.

_Irrelevant. Why should I listen to the whims of simpering cowards? Had the boy transformed the outcome would have been the same. I was simply testing the truth of the rumors surrounding him. Had we been deceived and he was not truly capable of shifting then months of planning and preparations would have been wasted._

Is it really alright for us to use the boy for our own selfish desires?

_SELFISH? Bite your tongue! What the organization is planning to achieve is salvation of every human being in existence. They are mindless sheep blissfully unaware that they are traveling down the road to ruin. We must be their shepherds and guide them down the righteous path._

But how do we know that the ones devoured by titans reach paradise? No one has come back from the dead to tell what awaits us on the other side.

_There is one who has achieved apparent reincarnation._

You mean…Jaeger?

_Yes. The boy was devoured shortly after the breach of Wall Maria, and yet still he lives and breathes. He may hold the key to the divine truth. _

But he was branded a heretic for taking the form of a titan at will.

_That was the ruling of the Council, not of our Lady. She believes that the boy may indeed be a savior. He has somehow evolved into the highest form of existence. If there is a way for us to harness this power and spread it amongst a chosen few then we may be able to achieve our dream of cleansing this world and saving humanity from eternal damnation even sooner than we'd hoped._

If he is the key, then why is the Council set on destroying the Scouting Legion? Are they not his protectors? What if he is killed before our plans come to fruition?

_Think about it you imbecile. If he is constantly surrounded by guardians how will we ever capture him and achieve our goals?_

But the Council wants him dead…is that not why we were hired to capture his friend and lead him back to the city?

_The Council are a bunch of senile old fools that cannot see the divine wisdom of our illustrious Lady. She would never have allowed to boy to be killed so easily._

Then…she plans to overthrow the Council?

_Our Lady plans to dispose of them one by one, plucking them like weeds from a garden. Their presence is inhibiting our growth and they must be eradicated. However, it must be done slowly, very slowly, like poison spreading through the body. If they were to catch wind of her deceit they would surely have her killed and humanity would suffer a crushing blow._

But what does this grand scheme have to do with us? With this one? Everything has changed now that we are imprisoned. This one has failed Our Lady. Surely she will disown us.

_Rook…we have not failed. Your role now is to protect Eren Jaeger, to befriend him and earn his trust. If he believes that you are no longer a threat he may confide in you about the source of his power. In hindsight your decision to warn him of the impending attack may have been a very important first step in accomplishing this. Well done, you have surpassed my expectations. Our Lady would be proud._

…_._

Rook was extremely relieved that he was alone at that moment; if someone had witnessed his dialogue with the invisible entity he would likely be forced to explain his statements. It was not an ideal position to be in, considering he had no idea how to explain that the voice inside of his head was a completely separate being from himself and felt as real to him as flesh and blood.

The redhead's appearance had suffered considerably since his capture. He now looked rather gaunt from not having eaten a proper meal in days. He hadn't had any extra weight to spare in the first place and his current food deprivation was already beginning to take a toll on him; he felt completely drained of energy and it was hard to focus on anything but the rumbling in his gut. He hadn't seen the one they called Hanji since that morning, and only one member of the medical staff had come to change his bandages that day when normally it was forbidden to approach him alone.

His wound was beginning to heal rather nicely. The stitches that Hanji had placed managed to stay intact and hold the flesh together, aiding in the process of mending. Rook was actually rather fortunate that the Corporal knew human anatomy as well as titan; had be strayed off the mark a few centimeters the blade surely would have pierced his heart.

_It would have been mercy…we would not regret dying now, not after we have failed her…Our Lady…so beautiful, so intelligent, so deadly…this one is nothing but a cockroach in her presence. But if we were to die now we would not have the chance to redeem ourselves in her eyes. If I can bring her Eren Jaeger the Lady may embrace me once more…_

His thoughts trailed off as his golden eyes picked up on a skittering motion just at the edge of his peripheral vision. Turning to look he spotted a spider crawling down the wooden walls of the infirmary, just close enough to his cot to be within reach. It was breathtakingly beautiful; its black body caught the light from a nearby window, glistening in the midday sun. The most striking feature of the spider was the impressively sized crimson hourglass on her abdomen, signifying perhaps that when she struck her victim their time would be cut short, her venom coursing through their veins rapidly as they struggled to survive.

_So gorgeous…it is as if the Lady has sent a messenger to reassure us. Do not worry milady, this one will do his very best not to disappoint you ever again._

The spider lowered herself to the ground on an impossibly strong line of webbing and skittered across the cold stone floor to disappear into a minute crack in the wall. Rook had hoped that the spider would stay near him just a bit longer and comfort him in his self-doubt. However fleeting her presence, it had given the redhead the ray of hope he needed to carry him through, and for that he was grateful. As much as he despised being contained like some kind of rabid animal he knew that he must have faith in his Lady's plan.

_There is naught to do now but wait. Until we meet again, Eren Jaeger, I shall remain here and endure._

* * *

Eren, Levi and the other members of his squad were almost an hour's journey into the thick forest surrounding the castle, riding swiftly along the dirt path as fast as their steeds could carry them. Urgency was at the front of everyone's minds; a titan attack, no matter how large or small the scale, was a serious matter, especially when they ventured so close to the forest. Were they to breach the thicket of trees the notion that titans did not voluntarily enter forests would be completely thrown out the window and extra precautions would need to be taken to guard against surprise attacks. That took time and manpower, something that the Scouting Legion could not spare at the moment.

At first the members of Levi's squad had grumbled and groaned about working on their day off; that was until Hanji alerted them to the fact that a possible titan attack was about to take place. She conveniently left out one small detail, however; that she and Levi really had no idea if there even was going to be an attack. They had reluctantly taken Eren's word for it, knowing deep down inside that the teen was taking the advice of a criminal and potentially leading them into a trap.

It didn't take them long to figure out the situation, however. Not when Levi looked so apprehensive, whereas normally he wore a mask of indifference and boredom on their missions.

Eren had a determined look on his face; thick brows knitted in concentration and blue-green eyes full of fury. He mercilessly dug his heels into Phoenix's sides to urge her forward faster, a command that the horse did not seem to mind as she worked her powerful leg muscles, covering more ground in one stride than Eren thought possible for an animal. Her speed even outmatched Onyx, who was normally the fastest horse on the field. If Levi wasn't so pissed off at the brat he would have been impressed at Eren's riding prowess. He didn't miss a beat, positioning himself so that he moved with Phoenix instead of against her, effortlessly staying in just the perfect spot on his saddle to avoid creating wind resistance.

_Shitty brat, you'd better pray to whatever God you believe in that there really are titans out here or I'll knock more than one tooth out of your mouth._

Levi had not been a fan of the idea of listening to the brunette; however, it would be a disservice to the rest of his men to ignore something that could be a threat to their very existence. Reluctantly he'd agreed to gather his squad and ride out, not particularly wanting to encounter any titans but not wanting to waste their time on a wild goose chase either. He hoped that if there were any titans that they would not be aberrants; he was in no mood for crab walking giants at the moment.

As they neared the edge of the forest he slowed Onyx's pace, motioning for the others to do so as well.

"Everyone listen up, here's the plan; Petra, you and Auruo ride east and scan the area for titans; Gunter and Erd, you ride west and do the same. Eren and I will continue riding north. If you spot any titans, normal or aberrant, send the appropriate smoke signal. Should you be vastly outnumbered immediately retreat and come find me," Levi ordered, eyes set forward as he spoke.

"Yes, sir!" they all said in unison, splitting off from the group and heading in their respective directions. Once they departed Levi set his sights on Eren, who was riding a few meters ahead of him. He urged Onyx to catch up, cursing the brunette for attempting to run off on his own. Once the horses were running nose and nose he shot Eren a nasty glare.

"Oi! Where do you think you're going, Jaeger? We work as a team on my squad or we don't work at all, so I suggest you slow the fuck down before I knock your ass right off of that horse," Levi barked, having to shout to make sure that he was heard. Eren reluctantly met his gaze with a look of trepidation; whether it was from the prospect of fighting an unknown amount of enemies or just from the way Levi had threatened him he couldn't be sure.

"Sorry…" he muttered under his breath, not really caring whether Levi heard the half-hearted apology or not. The older male had picked up on it but decided that he wasn't quite ready to forgive the brunette just yet. It was time to change the subject.

"Once we reach the edge of the forest I want you to use your gear and find the tallest tree in the vicinity; if there are titans I don't want to be caught unaware on the ground, it would be a severe disadvantage even with the fastest horses in the Legion. Understand, Eren?" Levi emphasized the brunette's name to make damn sure he was being listened to.

It seemed to work; Eren looked at him wide-eyed, lucky that Phoenix was smart enough to dodge rocks and branches on her own because his attention was not focused on the path before him.

"Yes, sir!" Eren shouted over the sound of wind rushing past face; Phoenix was galloping at top speed and Eren had to hold on tighter and lean into her to keep from tumbling off. Only when they approached the edge of the tree line did Eren slow her up, Levi on his heels. The forest became eerily quiet as they began their search for an appropriately sized tree to lookout from.

"That's odd, last time I was here the birds were so loud I could hardly hear myself think," Eren said, his tone wary as he strained to hear something, anything that would be considered normal to hear in a forest in the middle of the day.

"Yes, it is indeed strange. I've always heard that animals have far keener senses than we do. Perhaps they know something we don't," Levi guessed, all the while scanning the trees and spotting a rather tall oak that stood ancient and proud, towering over the other trees as if it were their leader.

"Use this tree to keep a lookout, I'm going to ride out a bit further and see if I can spot anything; you'd better hope I do or you will regret wasting my time," Levi warned. Eren scowled at the threat but decided to avoid confrontation and grappled up into the nearest branch before making his way to the top. Phoenix whinnied as Eren departed, almost as if she was sad to see the boy go. Levi gave her a reassuring pat on the nose and a quick scratch between the ears.

"Don't worry Phoenix; Eren will come back to you. Stay here and look after him, alright?" Levi spoke in a low, affectionate tone that was so very unusual for him that if anyone overheard their "conversation" they would think that he'd either had too much to drink or suffered a head injury. Phoenix nickered at him in response.

_I suppose the brat has a way of charming even his four legged companions. Manipulative little shit._

Without another word, Levi urged Onyx forward, past the tree line and out into an open field. It was a blessing and a curse; his visibility was far better without any trees, but he also had nowhere to maneuver save for grappling onto the titan itself. A quick look around revealed that all was as it should have been; no towering giants to be seen on the horizon. Despite the seemingly tranquil atmosphere there was one thing that slightly unnerved even the stoic Corporal;

It was far too quiet.

Levi urged Onyx forward through the tall grass, feeling far too exposed in this environment. He continued on for what seemed like forever in the endless field of grass, covering quite a bit of ground at a gallop. Finally, after several more minutes of eerie silence Levi halted his steed, a less than pleased look on his face.

_I knew this was a waste of time. I suppose I'll head back and meet up with the brat. Nothing to do but wait for word from the others.  
_

As Levi turned Onyx back in the direction of the forest, he spotted something out of the corner of his eye on the far off horizon, above the tree line and making its way up into the sky.

It was smoke signal coming from Petra and Auruo's direction, signaling that either titans were approaching their position or that they had already found them. Levi immediately rode back towards the forest to collect Eren and head to their position; even if they didn't require any help killing the titans, he wasn't going to take a chance on them being unexpectedly surrounded without support.

_Today is your lucky day, Eren. Looks like I won't have to knock your teeth out after all._

* * *

"Are you quite certain that it is indeed Rook that they have captured?"

A tall woman clad from head to toe in a scarlet robe stood before a seated group of three men in a dark, secluded room. It was the kind of place that normal people fear to tread; dingy, dank, walls and floors made of stone. The perfect place to hold a conversation not meant for prying ears.

"Yes. We received word from Commander Erwin himself that they had captured a would be assassin. The timing is just too perfect. You said he was a professional and that he could be trusted! I paid you an extremely generous amount of money for this job and you promised to carry it out without a hitch! Well, I would certainly consider your so-called best agent getting captured a hitch," a gruff male voice made itself heard, shouting so that it echoed within the tiny dungeon like room. He slammed his fists down on the hard wood table around which they were seated for added effect.

"Yes, this is a huge problem, one that we did not foresee happening; what if the fool decides to talk? We'll lose our jobs, titles, money, and maybe even our very lives!" another male cried out, fear evident in the way his voice trembled. He was wringing his hands nervously and beads of sweat began to form on his wrinkled brow.

The third man only nodded, looking warily at their surroundings. The robed woman was silent for a moment, her hood covering her face entirely so that only her nose and mouth were visible to the others. Her mouth was drawn into a thin, flat line and it was impossible to read what kind of expression she was making. Her silence did not sit well with the loud man who had spoken first.

"Well? Are you going to just stand there all day? Aren't you going to offer us an explanation?"

The woman shot him a glare that was luckily hidden by her hood.

"…I do not have any excuse to give you, good sir. I do not know why or how Rook was captured, but I do know this; he has been well trained and I trust him completely. He will not disclose your names to the enemy, I promise you," she said in a reassuring voice, the words sounding sweet like honey pouring from her soft, rosy lips. Her sultry demeanor seemed to calm the nervous man and his silent counterpart; however the loud man was not so easily soothed.

"Promise what you will, words are wind and not worth the shit under my shoe; if you do not wish for me to expose your crazy little cult then you will rectify the situation _immediately_," the man spat through clenched teeth, a small vein popping up on his forehead in his anger. The woman's pouty lips were frowning slightly now and she did her best to hide her offense at the threatening words. Immediately she put on a mask of confidence to defend herself.

"The situation is currently being dealt with as we speak; I have sent three of my best riders to retrieve Rook and the boy, so do not fear," she restrained herself from letting her voice rise above its normal pitch; it would not do to allow her anger to take over her senses. She must remain calm, collected and assert her intelligence over that of these…pigs. She wrinkled her nose a bit in distaste as the word popped into her mind.

_Yes that is all these old fools are; filthy swine among our flock of innocent sheep. They were merely a tool, a means to an end. They must be culled before long. I await the day that I can drive my dagger into their still beating hearts with baited breath. They do not deserve paradise._

"How can we trust that the men you've dispatched are any more competent than that schizophrenic imbecile?" the loud man snarled, upper lip curling into an ugly sneer. The woman bristled at the insult to her beloved pupil, but held her tongue lest the situation escalate; as much as she despised speaking with these men, the fact of the matter was that if the cult was going to have any influence in this world ruled by greed then money would be a necessity. The Military Police was certainly the most well-funded of the branches, and so it was only logical to become allies.

"I assure you, even if they were to fail in their mission (which is highly unlikely), then appropriate countermeasures have been set in place to avoid their capture," she said, her lips curing upwards into a reassuring smile. Something sinister seemed to hide in the shadow of her sweet words, however.

The loud man still looked skeptical, but his silence proved that he was at least willing to listen to what she had to say.

"Very well, but this is your last chance. Should you fail to retrieve Eren Jaeger, or at the very least your agent then we will sever all ties. We will not be held responsible for any repercussions or retaliation, understood?"

"I thank you for giving me another opportunity to prove to you that I and my children do indeed keep our word, and that we walk the righteous path," she bowed, further adding to the illusion that she had any semblance of respect for the swine.

_Despite a few bumps in the road, we are drawing ever close to our goals. I pray to the Gods that my plan may succeed. I cannot lose their support, not when I've come this far._

It had been far easier to earn their favor than she'd ever imagined; the Military Police were still licking their wounds from losing custody of Eren Jaeger to the Scouting Legion, which planted the seeds of hatred and mistrust between the two branches. While the main leaders of the Military Police had decided to ignore the issue, there were those among them still who hated and feared the titan shifter so much that they wanted him dead.

She and her children desired to possess the boy in hopes of learning his secret to obtaining titan powers. That much had never been disclosed to these men, however; she had gone along with their plans to eliminate him to disguise her true intentions. The Council, which were the true leaders of the cult, had branded Eren a heretic for using his powers to become a titan. It baffled her how short-sighted humans could become in their advancing age. It was time for a new agenda to be put into place.

She was the shepherd, after all, and what kind of guardian would she be if she let wolves devour her flock?

_I will lead our them to salvation, and no one, not these fools or the Council will stand in my way. _

* * *

"Man, what a pain. I was all nice and cozy, curled up with a cup of tea and a good book and then here comes Squad Leader Hanji demanding that we follow that brat on some wild goose chase," Auruo groaned, stretching out his tired muscles as he scouted the area from a rather tall tree. Petra was standing in an adjacent tree, blades at the ready. She shot Auruo an annoyed look.

"Quit complaining. You know that we have to take the threat of a titan attack seriously, no matter what. I, for one, believe that Eren was telling the truth," she stated matter of factly, huffing a bit at her companions apparent lack of faith in the boy.

Auruo heaved a tired sigh. "It's not that I don't believe Eren, but do you know where he got his information from? From that assassin, that's who! We are trusting the word of a man that would sooner slit our throats than look at us; how can we be sure this isn't some kind of trap?"

As Petra opened her mouth to respond she was suddenly interrupted by a rumbling beneath her feet. It was as if something very large was causing vibrations on the ground which were powerful enough to travel up the tree. Auruo arched a brow in question.

"D-did you feel that just now?" Petra asked, eyes wide as dinner plates. There was only one thing that could cause the very earth to shake beneath its massive feet. Not long after she felt it Auruo nearly fell off of his branch in shock as he felt the same vibrations beneath him.

"I'll be damned, the kid was right-" he began, but his statement was soon cut short as he heard a thundering of hooves and the snapping of branches as something suddenly crashed through the undergrowth; to his surprise it was a human mounted upon a swift black steed. It took him a few seconds to register what was happening in his mind. He certainly hadn't expected such a development.

"O-oi! Who are you? Where did you come from?" Auruo called after the rider, who was already speeding down the dirt path from whence they came. The cloaked man did not appear to hear him as he galloped out of sight.

"W-what the hell was that all about?!" Auruo questioned, waving his arms in exasperation at being ignored.

"I don't know! There shouldn't be anyone else out here! All members of the Scouting Legion save for us and the rest of our squad was ordered to take a day off," Petra shouted, her voice shaky from the sudden startling appearance of the rider. Her heart was beating a mile a minute.

"It definitely wasn't one of our men; whoever it was had a red cape, not green," Auruo deduced, looking thoughtful for a moment.

"Red? I don't think any of the branches wear that color," Petra conjectured, doing her best to stay balanced in on the narrow branch of the tree.

The rumbling beneath their feat became stronger and stronger until finally the source of vibrations came running towards them, still a ways off in the distance but clearly visible.

It was a group of six titans, all running top speed in their direction and looking rather ravenous.

"I don't know, but it looks like he wasn't alone-get ready, here they come!"

The first titan ran headfirst into the forest, wedging itself between two trees in an attempt to get through. Its reaction times were rather slow, and it waved its massive arms around in an attempt to free itself. Its unnervingly wide brown eyes focused on the two humans before it and it struggled desperately to grab at them.

"GWAAAARRRGH"

Auruo quickly seized the chance to dispatch the trapped titan and grappled towards it, landing just behind it before grappling once more and cutting a clean slice through the titan's nape. It slumped over immediately, falling silent as steam rose from its rapidly dissipating body.

"One down! Petra, I'm going to send the signal to the others, can you get the next one?" Auruo called out to his companion, who had followed close behind him. He loaded his flare gun with a fresh canister and plugged his ear before firing it into the air.

"Yes! I'll attack from behind as soon as it crosses the tree line!" the redhead replied, grappling to another tree and lying in wait until the next titan came bursting through. It was much larger than the previous one and managed to topple over several trees in its attempt to chase the rider. It was Petra's turn to attack, and she easily sliced clean through the nape, killing it in one go.

There was no time to celebrate, however, as two more titans came crashing into the forest, teeth gnashing and arms flailing in an attempt to knock the two from their perches. Auruo grappled over to Petra and grabbed her arm to steady her so that she wouldn't fall from such a dangerous height.

"Jeeze, six titans? That guy must have run straight through a whole pack of them, what a crazy son of a bitch!" Auruo mused, attacking the closest one in unison with Petra, their blades piercing the titan with ease as they seemed to almost dance on the battlefield. The air was hot and steamy from the sheer amount of titan bodies piling up between them, and Petra wiped the sweat from her brow, panting.

"That means that two more should be coming, right?" she mumbled to herself, quickly wiping off the almost boiling blood from her blades with a handkerchief.

She squinted against the midday sun and spotted the final two titans stumbling around outside of the entrance to the forest, sight clouded by their brethren's steaming bodies. Taking advantage of the makeshift cover, Auruo and Petra nodded to each in confirmation before approaching the titans head on, grappling to two separate trees before focusing on their targets.

Since the two titans were just beyond the trees Auruo grappled onto the nearest one, his hook burying itself deep within the giant's shoulder, causing it to cry out and thrash in pain. The blonde man propelled himself towards the titan, using his anchor on its shoulder to pull himself within reach of the weak spot. As he sailed through the air he readied his blade, slicing horizontally through the nape and landing on the titan's other shoulder.

He fought to keep his footing as the titan began to fall to its knees. The beast had carried him too far away from the trees to grapple back into the forest, and so released his hook and jumped to the ground as the creature landed.

Petra followed suit, replicating his actions and quickly finishing the other titan before emerging from the steam, breathing heavily. Auruo rushed to her side to make sure that she was uninjured.

"Are you ok, Petra?" he asked, concern etched on his aging features. Petra smiled at him and nodded in affirmation.

_Always looking out for me, aren't you, Auruo?_

"Yes, I'm fine. Looks like we didn't even need to bother sending the signal to the Corporal," she mused, a giggle escaping her lips. Auruo joined in the laughter and clapped her gently on the back.

"Good job, Petra. The Corporal would be proud."

Petra shook her head, still smiling brightly. Well, as brightly as someone covered in titan blood could, anyway.

"This is nothing compared to what Corporal can do. I've seen him kill dozens of titans without breaking a sweat, yet here I am struggling to catch my breath after three," the redhead let out a light chuckle at her own expense.

"Have some confidence, silly girl. I couldn't have done this without you, so chin up!" Auruo reassured her, squeezing her shoulder lightly and practically oozing with cheerfulness. Usually the man had two moods; annoyed and tired. When he was with Petra, however, his demeanor completely changed. He was happy, alert, sociable and supportive. She really did seem to bring out the best in him.

Despite his attempts to lighten the mood, however, Petra's face took on a rather grim expression as her thoughts caught up with her.

"Do you think…that that rider led those titans here on purpose?"

Auruo chewed on her words for a moment before nodding.

"It did seem like they were following him; usually titans steer clear of the forest, it's too cramped and most of them can't fit without trying really hard, and the only reason they might even attempt it is to go after food" Auruo surmised, hand resting on his chin in contemplation.

Petra nodded, frowning.

"If he did lead them here, then we need to alert the others to his presence right away; we can't just let someone that dangerous escape."

"And who is this dangerous someone you're talking about?" a familiar voice called to her from a distance, and when Petra turned around she spotted the Corporal riding towards her with Eren on his heels. She quickly saluted him and explained.

"Corporal Levi! Auruo and I saw someone ride through the forest just now; they came from the direction of the open field just beyond the tree line. He was followed by a small group of titans, and we aren't sure whether he led them here intentionally, or if he was just trying to escape," Petra hastily reported, looking rather frazzled.

Eren's blue-green eyes widened at her words.

"You mean you think that someone knew we were going to be here and tried to sick titans on us? That's crazy-" he was cut off abruptly by Levi, who signaled for him to stop talking with one raised hand. Eren pouted a bit at being interrupted but did not object.

"I think," he began after a moment of contemplation," that we need to find this rider and question him if we are to-" this time it was Levi who was cut short by the familiar sound of a flare gun being fired in the distance. The smoke trail was barely visible through the thick foliage of the tree tops, but it was unmistakable. It was coming from the direction that Gunter and Erd had traveled, and the message it bore was a grim one indeed.

It was the signal for an aberrant.

* * *

Phew, thanks for reading!I really suck at writing action sequences, so I apologize lol.

So sorry this chapter is short, I wanted to get it written before I have to study for my tests this weekend, so I apologize. I'll probably try to update no later than next Thursday, so until then, please review when you get the chance!


	13. Chapter 13

Hi guys! Sorry for the slow update. School and all. I hope people are still interested, orz.

Warning for this chapter; descriptions of graphic violence are present. I would hope that if you are an avid watcher/reader of SNK you'd be used to it, but you never know XD.

Don't forget I'm on tumblr as well, and I'm always posting pics and things. www. azshalade. tumblr. com

* * *

_This is all too strange, too coincidental to be an accident. Someone is out to sabotage the Scouting Legion and I will not stand for it._

A look of determination born from defiance flickered across the Corporal's face as he dug his heels into Onyx mercilessly, spurring him ever onward. Their maneuver gear might have been faster and more convenient, but gas was precious and limited and best saved for actual titan encounters. Levi would be sure to make it up to the horse for working him so hard when they returned (if they managed to return at all). Eren, Petra and Auruo followed close behind, not letting their leader out of their sight.

Petra's worried expression prompted Auruo to try and comfort her. "I'm sure they're fine, Petra. You know those guys are tough, it'll take more than one measly weirdo titan to take them down," he jested, giving her the biggest grin he could manage. It didn't do much to calm her fears, but she returned the gesture with a faint smile of her own.

"I know, you're right. I just hope we get there in time to help," Petra said, voice quivering with a mixture of sadness and trepidation. Eren felt like he should say something too, but the words escaped him and he remained silent as he forced Phoenix to keep pace with Onyx. Although she had done a spectacular job of maintaining a steady speed without tiring, every living creature had their limits and Eren could sense her slowing a bit as they continued on.

His thoughts wandered back to the time he'd spent in the treetops, scouting the area for titans as Levi rode out into the great unknown. Although he was still a bit perturbed that Levi had doubted his judgment he couldn't help but worry about the older male's safety. It was dangerous enough to ride out into an open field when titans could show up at any moment; it was downright suicidal to do it alone, even if you were humanity's strongest soldier. He probably should have ignored the order to stay behind so that he could backup the Corporal, but he didn't want to deal with the repercussions of disobeying another direct order.

_Why did he want me to go with him anyway? So that he could kill me if I turned? He probably doesn't trust me at all._

The thought saddened Eren a bit. Despite all that had happened, he still looked up to the Corporal and aspired to be even half the soldier the older male was. If he thought Eren was just a reckless, uncontrollable liability, how could he ever hope to prove himself? Not to mention that a part of him just wanted to become closer to Levi. How close depended on where the older male drew the line, because Eren was more than a little willing to go beyond the boundaries of mere friendship.

_Not going to happen, he's already told you that, idiot. If you'd kept it in your pants maybe things would have gone differently._

As they drew closer to their destination the sounds of battle could be heard cutting through the stillness of the otherwise tranquil forest. The bestial cries of titans and the sound of maneuver gear being utilized were instantly recognizable to the seasoned squad, who one by one slowed their horses down to a halt at Levi's command. Eren was more than a little eager to help his comrades and frowned when they stopped to seemingly smell the roses.

"Why are we stopping? Gunter and Erd are fighting to survive while we're sitting here doing nothing!" Eren snapped, bringing Phoenix around in front of Levi so that he could look the Corporal straight in the eye. The shorter male regarded him with his signature impassive stare, although there was a glint of something fierce behind his steel grey orbs.

"If we go in without a plan we're all likely to end up dead. Haven't you ever heard of a strategy, Jaeger?" Levi replied bitterly, not shying away from Eren's intimidating gaze. The brunette huffed, wanting to leave the others behind and venture forth on his own but deciding against it. Perhaps Levi had a point; without a plan they wouldn't know their roles, and a soldier with no direction was useless.

"Fine, so what's the plan?" Eren blurted out, not really realizing how rude and impatient he sounded to his superior officer. Levi had come to expect that from Eren, and would reprimand him for it later; now was the time for action, not words. The sooner they came up with a game plan the better. He turned Onyx around so that he was facing the rest of his squad, who looked back at him with fear in their eyes.

"Since we don't know how many titans there may be, or the exact location of the aberrant, our first priority is to avoid combat altogether until we locate Gunter and Erd. Do not engage any titans unless absolutely necessary until we know the situation, understood?" The rest of his squad nodded in response, their attentions mainly focused on the sounds of heated battle before them.

"We will proceed from here with maneuver gear; the horses will stay here out of the line of fire. Should you be the first one to find either of your squad mates I expect you to send the appropriate signal; green for alive, red for dead," Levi explained, tossing canisters of colored smoke to each of them. Once everyone had their flare guns loaded and ready to go they dismounted and awaited the signal to depart.

"Go. I'll be following close behind," Levi ordered, and his squad saluted him before grappling into the trees and heading in separate directions to cover more ground. That was, all except for Eren, who looked at the flare gun in his hand with disdain. Levi arched a brow and approached the brunette, shooting him a questioning look. Eren frowned and furrowed his brows in deep thought.

"Why are you still here, Jaeger?" Levi asked, a hint of irritation in his voice. The look Eren gave him was one of trepidation, something Levi had not expected to see within those gorgeous ocean colored eyes. Usually the boy was full of anger and blood thirst, eager to destroy his enemies at any cost. Yet now, at the most critical time, he appeared distraught and unsure of himself.

"It's just…what if they're…what if we only find the bodies?" Eren asked, his voice barely above a whisper as he dropped the hand holding the flare gun to his side. Levi understood then why the boy hesitated in that moment; that fear of the unknown, when you had no idea whether your comrades were alive or dead, or whether you even stood a fighting chance against your enemy, they were all feelings that Levi himself was all too familiar with.

He heaved a sigh.

"If they're dead, they're dead and nothing can change that. We can stand there and mourn, asking ourselves why, or if there was something we could have done differently to prevent it, but the truth is that no matter how much we dwell on it we cannot bring them back. All we can do is strengthen ourselves and promise that we will never forget, and that we will fight until our dying breath to prove to them that their deaths were not in vain." Although Levi was looking straight at him there was distant look in his eyes, and the brunette could sense that this was not the first time that the Corporal had faced this very situation.

_He's probably seen plenty of his comrades die in the past. He needs me to be strong and fight, I can't just sit here and do nothing because I'm afraid of what I might find._

Eren was suddenly at a loss for words, and so he nodded in understanding as a new feeling overtook him; a burning pride within his heart that seemed to ignite a spark inside of him, giving him hope and the strength to move forward at any cost. He was a part of something wonderful, a group of people who fought and died day after day for their cause, whose symbol embodied everything Eren himself yearned for. His new found resolve caused a cocky smile to grace his lips and he saluted Levi, hand over his heart and determination in his eyes.

Levi arched a brow; he hadn't intended on Eren taking his little talk as a motivational speech, but whatever got the brat to move his lazy ass was fine with him.

"Yes, sir!" he shouted, and as he moved to grapple into the nearest tree he felt a gentle tug on his sleeve. When he looked back to question what Levi was doing he was shocked to see the man's usual impassive stare replaced with a sad look, mouth curved into a frown and brows furrowed with worry. Eren's eyes widened to a comical size upon seeing the uncharacteristic expression.

Those intimidating steel grey eyes looked deep into Eren's teal as he spoke, barely above a whisper but still audible to the brunette.

"Eren, don't die, that's an order."

Without another word Levi grappled into the nearest tree and disappeared into the forest, leaving a very confounded Eren behind. His cheeks flushed a light pink color as he stared down at the sleeve that Levi had touched ever so gently.

_I...I won't die, I promise.  
_

Eren tucked the thought away and followed suit, grappling into the nearest tree and scanning the area from the treetops. There, at the edge of the forest, he spotted two small figures encircling a rather large titan, working together to bring it down in one fell swoop. From his current position it was difficult to tell exactly who the figures were, but his heart leapt in his chest at the sight nonetheless.

_It's gotta be Gunter and Erd, the others are fast but they couldn't have made it that far already; they must still be alive. I'm so relieved._

Knowing not to get too complacent, Eren continued ahead, sailing past the trees at a steady speed and enjoying the feeling of the wind rushing past his face. It was exhilarating to be back in action once again, even if he wished it was under different circumstances.

When he reached the edge of the forest he balked at what he saw; nearly a dozen titans lay dead, corpses steaming. Eren was dismayed to see that he'd come too late to assist in the fight he'd witnessed from the trees. As a bit of the steam cleared due to a sudden gust of wind Eren finally got a good look at the two figures below. To his delight it was indeed his fellow squad members.

Gunter offered Erd a hand up off the ground where the other male was resting, panting and completely exhausted from his efforts. It was no small feat to eliminate that many titans without suffering a single debilitating injury.

Eren wasted no time and landed next to them, smiling when he saw that other than a few cuts and bruises the two men appeared unharmed.

"Gunter! Erd! You're alright!" Eren practically shouted with joy, thankful that he hadn't had to witness his comrades deaths. The two squinted at him, surprised looks on their faces as they realized who was speaking. It was difficult to see anything through the thick clouds of steam billowing from the multitude of titan corpses piling up around them.

"Eren? Since you're here I assume that means the Corporal saw our signal?" Erd questioned, standing up and dusting himself off.

"Yes, we came as fast as we could; by the way, you signaled for an aberrant right? But I don't see any abnormal titans around."

Almost forgetting about informing the others, Eren quickly loaded a green canister into his flare gun and covered his ears, sending the signal that he was certain Levi would be glad to see; green for alive.

"It disappeared deeper into the forest. It appeared to be chasing some maniac on horseback; we didn't get a good look at the guy, but from what I could tell he wasn't part of the Legion," Gunter explained, exchanging furtive glances with Erd that spoke volumes to Eren; behind their eyes were looks of pure fear, the kind you'd expect to witness from a cornered animal. Whatever they had seen, it had unnerved them enough to show in their faces. It proved that despite whatever preconceived notions the people back inside of the walls had about the Scouting Legion one thing held true; they were human, and they felt fear as real as any other.

"A-anyway, we shouldn't get too complacent; I'm also certain I saw at least four more 15 meter classes heading this way-" Erd was abruptly interrupted by the sound of a rather large titan crashing through the trees, as if on cue. Noticing the haggard and fatigued looks of his comrades, Eren's lips curved into a smile as he readied his blades.

"You guys take it easy; it's my turn to protect you," Eren said, tone somewhat cocky but nevertheless appreciated by the two tired men. The brunette grappled over to the titan, showcasing speed and agility that was only surpassed by Corporal Levi himself. Gunter and Erd watched in awe as Eren made short work of the titan, sending it falling to the ground in a lifeless heap. He had no time to rest, however, as two more 15 meters approached, undaunted by the corpses of their fallen brothers.

Eren took it as a challenge, and moved to dispatch them without hesitation, delighting in the feeling of the impossible warmth of the steaming blood that spattered across his skin, thoroughly coating his face and torso. His mouth twisted into an almost Cheshire grin as he reveled in the feeling of draining the life of the beings he hated the most in this world. It thrilled him, invigorated him. After so many years of being helpless and afraid, the prey had finally become the predator, and the hunters were being hunted themselves.

* * *

About a mile in the other direction Levi, Petra and Auruo (mostly Levi) worked together to dispatch the remaining titans in the area, relieved when they saw no more approaching from the direction of the open field. Levi was almost disappointed; it had been so long since he'd gotten the chance to put his blades to use, and all that they could find were a few measly stragglers? He knew that the situation could change at a moment's notice, however, and kept his blades at the ready.

As he heard the familiar sound of a flare gun being fired Levi froze; he was hesitant to turn around and see what color the smoke trail was. Many times before he'd seen that dreaded red tint the sky, confirming his worst fears. Petra, who was standing in a tree adjacent to him, pointed to the sky behind him and practically beamed a smile in his direction.

"Corporal! Look! Eren found them, and they're alive!" she yelled, whooping and dancing around while Auruo just smiled and watched. Levi exhaled a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding and turned around to see for himself; sure enough, there in the bright azure sky, was a fading streak of green smoke. The faintest of smiles graced his lips for a few seconds, unseen by his squad; it vanished as quickly as it came, however, when he felt a familiar rumbling of the earth below.

Two rather large trees parted like twigs before the emerging titan. Stepping out from the shadows of the forest was a massive titan, tall and muscular with a short mop of black hair. It could have been mistaken for a regular titan if not for one glaringly obvious difference; it was wielding three pairs of arms, six in all. In the top right limb it was clutching something in its hand, and as it drew closer what it was holding became visible.

It was a human, or more accurately, half of a human, ripped in two at the midsection. Petra covered her mouth but did not look away; it was nothing she hadn't seen before, but that certainly did not make witnessing the cruelty of the titans any easier. The top half of the person was currently hanging out of the side of the titan's mouth, arms stretched out and eyes wide with the shock of death. The corpse would not have surprised Levi so if not for one disturbing detail; the expression on the victim's face was not one of sheer terror as was to be expected.

The deceased man had died _smiling. _Not the tranquil smile that some of the dead would have upon receiving the mercy of a quick and painless demise; no, this man had been euphoric, had delighted in being devoured. A bit of his tattered red clock peaked out from between the titan's lips, and Levi instantly put two and two together.

_It appears that our rider was not quite fast enough._

Their time to stare slack jawed had come to an end; the titan finished his meal, crunching down on the bones of the torso before swallowing it greedily and following it with the lower half, snapping the legs in half as it bit down. Blood poured from its gaping maw like a slick crimson river. Wearing the usual unsettling smile upon its lips, the titan turned to face its new candidates for a hearty afternoon meal, and Levi knew that the time to act was nigh.

The aberrant looked upon him, its eyes wide as it seemed to study its prey. Levi despised that look; the look that said _you are nothing before me_.

_We'll see about that._

Levi moved with such speed that he became nothing more than a blur as he rounded on the titan, target in sight and blades at the ready. As he twirled to gain momentum in his usual fashion he was shocked to see that as he closed in on the nape the titan slapped a hand over the sensitive area and swung at him with another, turning around with almost human reflexes as it guarded itself against the incoming threat.

Levi managed to slice through one hand before changing directions midair and landing, cursing under his breath as he watched the injured limb regenerate with ease.

_I should have known that things wouldn't be that easy. Time for a different approach._

"Auruo! Petra! Try to distract it while I approach it from behind; you'll need to be twice as vigilant because of the arms," Levi instructed, and without a single word the two obeyed, grappling near the aberrant but staying at a seemingly safe distance. Levi watched and waited for an opportunity to move. Should he act too soon the titan would surely pursue him, still angry about its injured limb. Auruo landed in a tree just out of arm's reach of the titan, waving his arms and shouting in hopes of gaining its attention.

"Oi! Look over here you ugly son of a bitch! Don't I look tasty?" Auruo puffed his chest out in a false display of bravery; inside he was terrified, but he couldn't let it show, not when Petra and the Corporal were counting on him. The titan turned its massive head in his direction, one arm swiftly acting of its own accord and flying towards him in an attempt to snatch him from his perch. Auruo grappled away just in time, narrowly avoiding being grabbed.

"It's fast, be careful Petra!" he shouted, hoping the redhead would heed his words. Petra nodded and sent her line towards a tree on the opposite side of the titan, planning on landing on the branch and distracting it further. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Levi disappear into the forest. She smiled as determination burned within her heart.

_I won't let you down, Corporal._

It was a huge mistake to take her eyes off of the titan. Before she had a chance to land a massive hand grasped her line and pulled, dislodging the anchor from the bark of the tree and pulling the girl along with it like a fish on a hook. The force of being pulled in the opposite direction so quickly caused severe whiplash and Petra yelped as she suddenly came to halt, dangling from her gear as the titan lifted her to its mouth, smile never leaving its disgusting lips.

"PETRA!" Auruo cried, willing himself to move despite being paralyzed with fear. Petra stared at him, eyes wide with terror and mouthing a silent plea for help as she hung precariously over the titan's gaping maw. As she looked down she could see the unnaturally white teeth glistening with saliva in the midday sun, a massive tongue lolling to the side as it opened its mouth wider to accommodate its prey.

_No no no, this can't be happening, I don't want to die, not yet...  
_

Her wish was granted when Auruo flew by, grabbing her around the middle before grappling into the nearest tree. The sound of snapping jaws could be heard behind them as they landed, narrowly avoiding two arms swinging wildly about in an attempt to recapture the girl. Shaking from the aftermath of the adrenaline rush, Auruo put Petra down on the branch, steadying her as the girl struggled to keep her footing.

"Petra! Are you alright? That was way too close!"

Eyes wide with the shock of seeing her life flash before her eyes, the girl nodded. She shook her head, willing away the thoughts rushing through her mind and forced herself to concentrate on the task at hand. She looked around frantically, confused as to why the titan had not yet breathed its last.

"W-what happened to Corporal Levi? He was supposed to attack from behind; did something happen to him?!" she asked, worry evident in the way her voice quivered.

"I don't know, but the Corporal would never have let that happen under normal circumstances, something's wrong," Auruo concluded, looking in the direction their Corporal had disappeared in with worry. His heart told him to believe in his Corporal, that the man would never let his comrades down while he still drew breath.

However, his brain knew that despite what anyone thought, Levi was still human, and humans made mistakes.

_Don't leave us now, Corporal. _

* * *

Levi had followed the plan he'd hatched in his head to a T; approach the titan from behind while his comrades distracted it, therefore rendering it unable to defend its nape as Levi struck the killing blow. That was the plan.

But since when did anything ever go according to plan?

He'd been flying effortlessly through the trees, calculating the best spot to land and moving to do so, taken completely off-guard when he saw a cloaked figure standing in that very spot. Levi swiftly changed course and landed in a smaller tree next to it, eying the intruder warily. When the figure remained still Levi brushed it off, continuing with his plan despite a nagging feeling inside that something wasn't quite right about the whole situation.

_It doesn't matter right now; I can't leave Auruo and Petra alone with that thing. I must strike while the iron's hot. If they want to interfere I will cut them down without hesitation._

Levi was aware that the figure had decided to follow him, staying a few feet behind at all times. If time had not been of the essence Levi never would have ignored a potential threat like this.

"Oh Corporal, where do you think you're going? It's rude to ignore guests, you know!" the clearly male voice called out to him from behind, smirking under its hood as Levi watched him out of the corner of his eyes. He did not answer, not wanting to humor the man by acknowledging whatever the hell intentions the stalker had.

When he finally arrived at the pre-planned spot behind the abberant Levi stopped and calculated where best to send his grapple to make a deep, clean cut across the nape. He was acutely aware that the cloaked figure had seemingly disappeared, but focused instead on his target.

As he watched Auruo and Petra distract the titan he shot his grappling hook at an appropriately sized tree, anchoring it firmly before readying himself and sailing through the air. When he was but a few meters from his target, blades at the ready, something happened that Levi never could have anticipated.

The cloaked figure that had been following him used maneuver gear of his own, crossing Levi's path in a perpendicular direction and severing his lines in one fell swoop with two impossibly sharp blades. In the split second after it happened and LEvi began to fall, he could hear the figure speak to him, almost as if time had come to a standstill just long enough for him hear what the bastard had to say.

"We will clip your wings," the figure said, voice low and menacing and almost inhuman in the way it spoke; cold and full of malice.

As quickly as he'd appeared, the figure vanished into the distance, and Levi, being without the support of his gear, began to fall. In a miraculous stroke of what may have simply been dumb luck Levi spotted an opportunity to save himself; he was within inches of the titan's body. Instead of aiming for the nape he would have to anchor himself onto the beast to stop himself from falling.

Acting on pure instinct he drew back both arms before driving his blades deep into the flesh of the titan's back, dragging the sharpened metal down in two straight lines and using his feet as brakes. Once he'd stopped himself from plummeting to his death he thanked whoever had manufactured his blades for making them strong enough to penetrate titan flesh and sturdy enough to support his weight.

The titan roared and thrashed in pain, attempting to dislodge him. Its arms were far too short to reach him, however, and he was anchored in enough to avoid being thrown from the frantic movements. Auruo and Petra took notice of the titan's sudden change in demeanor and stared slack jawed as they watched it turn its back to them, revealing the Corporal hanging from the handles of his blades buried deep within its back, wounds steaming and attempting to mend only to be torn open once more. Petra couldn't believe her eyes; what could have happened to cause this? Levi never missed his target, so why was he just dangling there?

Auruo acted immediately. Drawing his blades from their holsters he moved to attempt approaching the titan from behind.

"Hold on Corporal, I'll kill it and save you-" he was abruptly cut off when Levi shouted to him, struggling to hold on and reaching deep within himself to use every ounce of strength he had left.

"No! Its smart enough to guard its neck, it will be a waste of time," Levi barked, cursing his arms for becoming fatigued from their prolonged hold on his blades," I have an idea. You and Petra continue to distract it. I will climb up and strike the nape while it's focused on you two," Levi put the plan into action without further ado, using all of his strength to retract one blade before plunging it into the flesh once more, only this time in a higher position. It was as if he was climbing a living mountain, but without a safety rope. Should he miss his mark he could end up dangling by one arm before surely plummeting to the earth below.

Auruo and Petra exchanged worried glances before hesitantly obeyed the Corporal's orders, this time taking much more care to stay out of arm's reach of the titan. Still roaring and thrashing the titan attempted to focus half of its attention on the other two, intent on capturing them but never ignoring the searing pain of having a human latched onto its back.

And so, Levi began his ascent, steadying himself every so often when the titan would flail around wildly. He was but a mere three feet from the nape and he would not back down now.

* * *

Eren wiped the copious amounts of titan blood from himself and his blades, bending over and huffing from exertion. He, Gunter and Erd had finally dispatched the last of the titans in their immediate area, and the three took a minute of much needed rest at the top of the tallest tree.

"Good job, Eren. You killed more titans today than I have in months," Gunter said, clapping Eren on the back and chuckling despite his aching muscles. Erd smiled and nodded, changing his blades and wiping the sweat from his brow that had accumulated from the clouds of steam surrounding them. Eren returned the smile, breathing heavily and feeling exhausted but satisfied.

The happy atmosphere soon turned dark, however, when the distinct cry of a titan pierced the tranquil silence of the forest. Eren snapped his head in the direction of the noise, eyes widening when he realized that it was coming from the very area that Levi, Petra and Auruo had headed. There was something unsettling about the sound; usually titans were relatively quiet, and when they did make noise they were usually grunts, groans, or the occasional roar.

But this, this was a cry of anguish, of hatred. Despite Eren's belief that other than himself, titans were incapable of feeling anything but hunger, he could not deny the emotion behind the cry. It was as if it was saying that it determined to survive, no matter the cost. He shook his head, willing the thoughts away before turning to face his comrades.

"Whatever made that sound is near the Corporal and the others. We've got to help them!"

"Right. Let's go!" Erd agreed, and the three of them headed in the direction of the noise without hesitation.

Eren quickly gained the lead due to being the lightest of the three. He sped forward with new found resolve. For once he would be useful to the Corporal; this time he would not let himself be caught unaware and helpless. As unlikely as it might be, if Levi needed him he would be there, and he would prove that he could be strong without relying on his titan powers, however helpful they may be.

For all of his courage he still balked at the sight before him when he landed, blue green eyes wide with shock and awe as he beheld the aberrant titan before him. It was massive, muscular, and multi-limbed; not a good combination. His companions soon caught up with him, landing on either side with questioning glances.

"Eren, what's wrong, why did you sto-" Gunter stopped mid sentence as he saw just why Eren had halted. A rather angry six armed titan was swatting at Auruo and Petra like flies while thrashing around and groaning in pain. Their jaws further slackened when the titan turned its back to them, revealing the Corporal climbing its back, blades acting as anchors.

"What the fu-" Erd began, but was interrupted when Petra shouted to them upon noticing their arrival.

"Corporal Levi is about to kill it, but his gear is malfunctioning or something and he's going to fall!" she narrowly avoided being hit by a flailing arm and grappled away, frustrated that she could not get closer to Levi.

The Corporal had finally reached his destination. His heart was pounding a mile a minute and his breaths were coming in short pants. He was running on pure adrenaline now, his muscles having tired themselves out long ago. He was right below the nape, and he quickly pulled out one of his blades to make the killing blow, steadying himself and praying that he would hit the mark on his first try.

Levi drove the blade deep within the nape, hitting his target in just the right spot to bring down the titan and sighing in relief as he felt its muscles go lax, confirming that he had indeed hit his mark. The beast let out one last strangled cry as it struggled to remain standing. Blood gushed from the open wound, and Levi struggled to maintain his grip on his blades, feet slipping out from under him as he dangled like a puppet on a string. He really hadn't thought this through, or he might have anticipated the steaming river of blood impeding his ability to keep from falling.

Eren finally snapped out of his stupor upon realizing that it was only a matter of seconds before Levi's grip failed and he would fall. Ignoring the question of why Levi wasn't using his maneuver gear Eren's body moved of its own accord, and he flew forwards on his line, heart racing with fear and adrenaline.

_I won't let you down, I promise._

The slick blood rushing over him finally trickled beneath Levi's fingers and his hand slipped, forcing him to relinquish his grip on his blade handles. He began to fall once more, cursing the titan for being such a fucking bleeder.

The titan was forced to its knees before falling forward onto its stomach, taking one final breath as it hit the ground hard, causing the very earth to tremble.

_I shouldn't die at this height, but this is going to hurt like a motherfucker._

Levi turned himself so that when he landed his arm would break his fall rather than his head or feet; he could fight one handed but not with a broken neck or a shattered femur. He closed his eyes tightly and clenched his teeth, bracing for impact. The familiar sound of maneuver gear sliding past him met his ears and his heart skipped a beat. If the same bastard from earlier had returned he could not defend himself, his blades still buried deep within the steaming corpse.

_Fuck. After all that trouble._

Anticipating the sting of a blade piercing his flesh, Levi was more than a little surprised when instead he felt two strong arms wrap around him in midair, catching him as he slammed into the other person's body, knocking the wind out of his lungs. It wasn't the most gentle of rescues, but he was more than a little relieved to have hit a human body instead of the cold hard ground. He instinctively clutched the fabric of the person's clothes, hanging on as hard as his aching arms would let him as the two sailed through the air.

His chin was resting on the mystery person's shoulder and as he opened his eyes once more he spotted his squad surrounding the aberrant titan, ensuring that it was indeed no longer among the living. He was relieved to see Auruo, Petra, Gunter and Erd all seemingly unharmed. Everyone had survived, and that alone brought Levi more joy than he'd experienced in a very long time.

_Wait…where's the brat…_

…

…

_Oh._

Levi wriggled in the mystery person's grasp a bit, repositioning himself so that he could look upon his rescuer's face.

"Eren?" Levi questioned, although he wasn't sure why. Who else had unkempt brown hair, striking eyes the color of the ocean and a cocky grin that made him want to punch them in the face? The brunette met his questioning gaze and smiled.

"What was that about asking me not to die? More like don't die yourself, Corporal," he teased, finally finding a suitable spot to land. When his feet once again hit the firm bark of a tree he came to a complete stop, releasing his grappling hook and breathing a sigh of relief.

_He's safe. For once in my life, something went right._

He let out a shaky laugh, trying to appear unaffected by the entire scenario and failing. His legs were shaking and he was almost certain he'd peed himself a little.

"I'm glad I got here in time, a few seconds too late and you would have broken every bone in your body," Eren mused, face taking on a more serious look as he tried to push the picture of Levi lying on the ground motionless out of his mind. When Eren had caught him he'd grabbed him around the middle, and Levi had instinctively wrapped his legs around Eren's waist and dug his nails into his shoulders to get a better grip and prevent himself from sliding out of the brunette's grasp.

Now that they weren't flying through the air at dangerous heights, however, it looked less like a rescue and more like something else. Once Levi had come down from his adrenaline high he became very aware that he could feel Eren's warm breath against his neck and his hands wrapped around Levi's back as if they were in some kind of intimate embrace. The older male narrowed his eyes and fought back the tingling sensation in his chest before releasing his grip on Eren's back and waist, letting his arms rest at his sides and putting his feet down beneath him and standing once more at his full height (which was still shorter than Eren, much to his dismay).

For some reason Eren was still practically hugging him and Levi cleared his throat to get the boy's attention. Eren didn't seem to notice, however, too caught up in the moment and relishing how it felt to hold the older male in his arms. The feel of his Corporal's beating heart against his chest, signaling that he wasn't dreaming, that Levi was still alive and that he'd succeeded in saving him.

He also couldn't help but notice the soft caress of Levi's breath against his ear, and damn did he smell good, kinda musky from fighting but not bad…

"You can let go now, brat," Levi said, the statement coming out harsher than he'd intended due to his slight embarrassment at the entire situation. Eren jumped a bit, snapping out of his daydream and quickly releasing Levi, stepping back from the older male and turning a few shades of crimson as he faced away and mumbled an apology. Levi frowned and furrowed his brows.

_Never thought I'd see the day when this idiot had to come to my rescue. I must be getting old or something._

Levi grimaced when he noticed that his clothes were completely drenched with sweat and evaporating titan blood. Eren's front was also covered in the substance but the brunette seemed unperturbed, turning to face Levi once his cheeks had returned to their normal shade of pink.

"Um…I probably shouldn't ask but…why were you climbing that titan? Did something happen to your gear?" Eren asked, rubbing his neck sheepishly and looking at Levi with those way- too- pretty- for- any-boy- to- have- the- right- to- own eyes. Levi did not answer at first, averting his gaze to look down upon his squad, who were already heading in their direction. He heaved a tired sigh and regarded Eren with a weary look.

"Someone was following me and cut my line. I think it was the rider from before but I can't be sure," Levi confessed, face returning to its normal impassive state as he used a handkerchief to wipe his brow. Eren did his best to try and ignore how attractive a sweat drenched Corporal was and arched a brow in question.

"Why didn't you stop him from following you?"

Levi crossed his arms and scoffed, one eyebrow twitching in annoyance.

"Is this an interrogation? I had more important things to worry about at the time," Levi stated, glancing down at his squad surrounding the tree they were in. Eren understood then that Levi had placed the safety of his comrades before his own, as per usual. He really hated it when people did that, but he was just as guilty himself, having willingly jumped into the mouth of a titan to rescue Armin.

"Any idea where he went?"

"No. I was too busy trying not to die to see where he ran off to," Levi said bitterly, checking his gear and frowning when he noticed the splayed ends of his severed line. The bastard may still be lurking out there somewhere, but at least the titan threat had been taken care of, as far as Levi knew.

"Did you see any more titans approaching your area?" Levi asked, not looking at Eren.

"No, it was all clear when we left."

"Very well. As much as I would like to chase down the pieces of shit that led them here I need to get this replaced ASAP. Although our enemy is now down one man thanks to that titan," Levi said, looking down at the smoldering pile of bones beneath them.

It was time to meet back up with his squad, and much to Levi's chagrin there was no easy way down save one. He eyed Eren and sighed, really not wanting to ask for the brat's help but seeing no other choice.

"….me down…" he mumbled, voice barely audible. Eren strained to hear what he'd said but to no avail. He had a hunch of what Levi was asking, but it wouldn't hurt to double check.

"Excuse me? I didn't catch that," Eren said, playing coy and pretending not to know what Levi could possibly want from him. The older male snapped his head in Eren's direction and shot him a smoldering glare.

"I said, get me down now, shitty brat," he snapped, and Eren really wanted to laugh, but decided against it. He really didn't want to lose anymore teeth. Instead he saluted, hand over his heart before picking Levi up and trying to carry him princess style. His attempt was thwarted however when the older male tried to punch him square in the nose, barely missing when Eren moved his head just out of the strike zone. He dropped Levi immediately, stepping back and trying to stifle a laugh.

"Don't do it like I'm your fucking bride or something, idiot" Levi snarled, picking himself up and dusting his clothes off.

"Ok then, I'll just have to carry you like a wounded soldier," Eren mused before grabbing Levi around the waist and throwing him over his shoulder, quickly grappling down to the ground before the shorter male could inflict any injuries on him.

When they landed the others exchanged furtive glances and Petra had to bite her lip to keep from bursting out laughing. Despite the danger they'd all faced and narrowly survived, the two were a sight to see and it was impossible not to smile at the ridiculous situation. When Eren landed he put Levi back on the ground and the older male sent a flying kick into his stomach, causing the brunette to double over in pain, clutching his sides. The others immediately straightened their faces and pretended that they did not just see humanity's strongest soldier being carried down from the treetops ever so gently by Eren Jaeger.

Speaking up above Eren's pained whimpers Levi faced his squad.

"Let's start heading back. We need to leave now if we hope to arrive before nightfall. Since Erwin will be busy with the ceremony tonight I expect you all to keep this under wraps until a meeting is called to discuss what transpired here," Levi stated, and all of them saluted him at once.

"Yes, sir!"

It didn't take long to find the horses, who were drinking from a nearby stream. They'd all been trained to never stray too far from their masters but to also stay out of the danger zone unless they were being ridden. Horses, like so many other rare things inside the wall, were worth a fortune and not easily replaced.

Phoenix let out a pleased whinny upon spotting Eren and trotted up to him, shoving her nose under the brunette's arm and nuzzling her master. Eren laughed and gave her a scratch behind the ears. It was nice having someone besides Mikasa and Armin worry about him for a change, even if that someone was equine.

Levi was already mounted on Onyx as the others looked around for their own respective horses. As Eren mounted Phoenix Levi trotted Onyx up beside him. The stallion eagerly pawed at the ground, ready to ride once more at his master's behest.

"Eren," Levi blurted out, his mouth working faster than his mind. The brunette immediately perked up upon hearing his name leave the Corporal's lips and turned to look at him, a mixture of hesitation and fear on his face. He really hoped that Levi could forgive him for playing around. He laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head to distract himself.

"I'm sorry about the carrying thing-" he began, voice cracking a bit from nervousness.

"Don't interrupt me, and don't apologize," Levi barked, making Eren flinch a bit before he sighed and softened his features. Eren's eyes widened in surprise as he noticed Levi's sudden change in demeanor.

When the Corporal opened his mouth Eren had to strain his ears to hear the older male's voice, which was barely above a whisper but still audible. Steel grey eyes looked upon him with genuine gratefulness and Eren swallowed hard at the honest expression Levi was wearing. It was as if he had removed his normal impassive mask, and Eren was completely stunned that he was even capable of emotions besides anger or indifference. It only proved that there was so much that he didn't know about the man behind the title of humanity's strongest. It only made him want to break down the wall that Levi had built around himself even more.

"….thanks," it was one simple word, but the way Levi flushed a bit and averted his eyes from Eren's as he said it spoke volumes.

Levi quickly dug his heels into Onyx's sides and galloped off, leaving Eren coughing in a cloud of kicked up dust.

_I guess we're even now, shitty brat._

* * *

So yeah, little bit of Levi and Eren fluff there. I keep getting questions about whether I'll be including smut in this story or not, and the answer is a definite yes, but I can't tell you when or how it's going to happen. I'm going to write it in when the timing is right. Unlike chapter 8 when I pretty much shoehorned in the smex I'm going to wait until the perfect time.

So please don't get impatient with me. On a side note, I do have other stories with smut and I'm working on another modern AU for your pleasure if anyone is interested.

Thanks so much for reading and please review when you get the chance!


	14. Chapter 14

I'm really, really, _really _sorry that I haven't updated this story in such a long time. I've been incredibly busy with school, plus taking care of dogs before and after surgery that I haven't had a whole lot of time to write. I finally got a break and was able to work on this story and Skills to Pay the Bills, so I'm happy! I really hope you guys like this chapter, I worked really hard on it. I promise I won't abandon either of my stories, so don't give up on me! Thanks to all my subscribers and reviewers, you guys motivate me to write!

Please read and enjoy!

* * *

Evening settled in much too quickly for the weary soldiers marching home from a long, grueling day of uncertainties and close calls. Luckily Levi, Eren and the others had managed to make it to the outer edges of the forest before the darkness of the early night grew so thick that it was difficult to see more than a few feet ahead. Perhaps even more fortunate for them was the absence of the mysterious hooded figures that had been plaguing them mercilessly for days now. An uneasy calm set in between the members of the squad, everyone thankful to be alive but much too exhausted for extended conversation.

Levi, never one to get too complacent, remained ever vigilant despite the apparent tranquility of the forest, falling back and keeping an eye on the treetops above them and the path they'd left behind.

Every so often his eyes would drift back directly ahead of him and he would count his squad members carefully to be sure that everyone was accounted for. It was an old habit of his to constantly keep an eye on his comrades, more to ease his own fears than anything else. As much as he'd tried to distance himself from his squad and avoid any kind of bonding, in the end he always ended up growing closer and caring for them. He hated that it always seemed to burn him in the end; his comrades would either die or flee with their tail between their legs, disgracing him and humanity as a whole with their cowardice. Perhaps he was growing softer as he grew older, but he finally realized that it was foolish to try and convince himself that he didn't care what happened to them; they were his family, and that was that.

They were loyal to a fault; he'd put them all in mortal danger numerous times, and yet they did not hesitate to follow his orders without question; well, all except for Eren Jaeger, that is. As Levi's steel grey eyes focused on the back of Eren's form he found himself growing more and more agitated by the second. Never before had any of his squad members had the audacity to question his orders or speak to him as an equal; the brunette definitely broke the mold there. He was brash, rude, impatient, ill-tempered and downright foolish; he'd gotten himself into trouble more times than anyone could count, and refused to listen to orders if he didn't like them. So why on earth had Levi decided to keep him around?

He tried to convince himself that it was solely because of the boy's titan shifting powers; after all, he was the only one strong enough to stop Eren should he go berserk. Plus, if he hadn't taken the brat under his wing the Military Police would have undoubtedly cut him open and put his guts in a jar by now. It was his duty to aid the brunette in harnessing and controlling that power to use it for the good of humanity. Yes, that was the sole reason that he'd agreed to this in the first place; Eren's power could be the one thing that could give mankind the trump card it needed to finally win this seemingly endless war.

From the beginning he'd planned to take the boy into the Scouting Legion per Erwin's request; however, he'd never been ordered to take Eren into in his personal squad. In fact, he'd never been ordered to do anything other than keep him alive and prevent him from wreaking havoc across the land. Somehow, despite the boy's misgivings, he couldn't bring himself to keep the boy caged like a rabid animal for the remainder of his life, and besides, he was of much more use to them out in the field. Yes, that must have been why Levi tolerated the brat; he was useful, a tool, a means to an end, nothing more.

That was what Levi would keep telling himself, anyway. He would not allow those eyes the color of the fairest seas to trick him into thinking otherwise. He simply couldn't let that beaming smile and hardened body try to lull him into a false sense of complacency; Eren was as much a danger as he was a savior. As much as one might try to tame a wild animal, there was always a chance that instinct would override logic and the dog would turn on the master. Levi knew it well, and therefore it would be foolish to let his guard down around the boy.

The brunette in question was fighting to stay awake astride Phoenix's back, and every so often his head would hang low as he nodded off, only to be jolted awake when the horse snapped a fallen twig under her hooves. He wanted to be awake and alert, he really did, but his body had other plans after such an exhausting day. Luckily they reached the edge of the forest before he got to the point of passing out and falling off of his horse. Once they crossed over into an open field and the castle was in sight Levi trotted to the front and halted them, reigning Onyx in despite the horse's desire to continue riding.

"You all did exceptionally well out there today and I thank you for it. You deserve a restful night's sleep, and so from this point on you are dismissed from duty and free to spend the rest of the evening as you see fit. As you all know tonight is the night of the ceremony to welcome any new recruits into the Legion; therefore, Commander Erwin is away, leaving me in charge. When he returns tomorrow morning with the new recruits I expect you all to be present and accounted for. Tonight, however, you can do whatever the hell you want and I will not stop you. Take a long dump, smoke, drink, fuck, whatever, just remember that you will report for duty at 9 a.m. sharp tomorrow or you will regret it," Levi finished up his speech, weariness beginning to show through in his voice.

After saluting Levi and exchanging mischievous glances the squad disbanded and urged their mounts in the direction of the castle. It was common knowledge that a shipment of beer had just arrived that morning as a gift from Commander Erwin for a job well done and they intended to take advantage of it. As Eren made to do the same he was stopped in his tracks when Levi pulled up beside him, face impassive as always.

"Sorry brat, you won't be joining the rest of the squad in their post mission festivities; you're coming with me," Levi ordered, urging Onyx forward and expecting Eren to follow without question. How foolish of him.

"Umm Corporal, may I ask why I'm not dismissed like the others?" Eren asked, trying to hide the irritation in his voice with curiosity and failing. Levi did not stop to answer his question, seemingly ignoring him as they drew closer to their destination. Eren heaved a sigh in defeat and followed, hoping that Levi was just being Levi and that he wasn't actually angry with him. As the evening wore on the temperature seemed to drop a few degrees, a sign that summer was coming to an end and the autumn months would be upon them soon. Levi rather liked the cold, especially since it justified his wearing multiple layers under his standard uniform. He hated the heat because warmth meant sweating, and sweating meant being sticky, and for those who didn't freshen up properly, it also meant stench. Unfortunately for him most of his squad failed to apply powder to their armpits before heading out, therefore assaulting him with body odor halfway through a mission.

The brunette was too weary to notice that Levi was leading him in a specific direction towards the infirmary until they arrived. It took him a minute to blink the sleepiness out of his eyes long enough to notice where they had ended up as Levi pulled Onyx to a stop and dismounted. The brunette tried not to think about the sheer distance Levi would fall should he tumble from his horse. Onyx was a large horse, and Eren couldn't fathom why someone as…height challenged as Levi would desire such an enormous mount.

Eren furrowed his brows in displeasure as he watched Levi hitch Onyx to a post, patting the horse between the ears and on the neck before pulling out a sugar cube and rewarding his noble steed. Once the horse had eagerly taken the treat from his hand he turned to face Eren, folding his arms expectantly and giving the brunette an impatient look. Eren dismounted and hitched Phoenix next to Onyx, looking rather disgruntled.

"Why are we here exactly, sir?"

Levi cut his eyes towards the brunette, frowning.

"Because you are going to interrogate our mutual friend inside and make him tell you everything he knows, with or without physical force, preferably using words instead of fists. As much as I'd like to kick the living shit out of him he still isn't fully healed and the trauma may kill him, costing us one valuable source of information. However, I will not risk putting my squad in another situation where we know little to nothing of what to expect. That's why you will force him to share how he knew about the attack and what we should expect to happen next."

Eren looked visibly upset at the command, shifting uncomfortably on the spot from one foot to the other.

"Why me? I think you're a bit more intimidating than I am, sir. No offense," Eren added quickly, careful not to cross any lines that might make Levi consider taking his anger out on him instead. Levi exhaled through his nose, cocked his hip and shot Eren a dirty look that would make most people head for the hills.

"You think I haven't tried, shitty brat? I've done all I can to try and get that psychopath to talk, save beating him within an inch of his life. For some reason you're the only one who can get him to say more than the gibberish he usually spouts. He has some kind of morbid fascination with you, and you are going to use that to our advantage, understood?"

Eren looked away and bit his lip, fighting back the urge to protest or come up with a snarky retort. If he was going to get any closer to achieving his goal of killing all the titans, he was going to have to learn to bite his tongue and obediently follow orders that he may not agree with. As much as he wanted to take on the world alone, he knew that it was likely to end in failure with his current skill level. If he wanted the Corporal to help hone his abilities then he was going to have to suck it up and play the part of obedient lackey.

"Alright, I'll talk to him, but please tell me that you'll be close by just in case something goes horribly wrong," Eren hoped against hope that he wouldn't just be left hanging. Levi contemplated this for a moment before nodding slightly and leaning against the side of the building.

"I'll be here, and I'll listen in, so don't say anything incriminating that you don't want to be public knowledge." If Eren didn't know any better, he'd think Levi was joking, but judging by the fine line the older male's mouth was in, and the unreadable look in his eyes, he couldn't be sure. He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with fresh outside air in preparation for the mind games that he would be forced to participate in. With a stomach full of butterflies Eren approached the front door of the infirmary, looking back to Levi (who gave him a slightly encouraging head nod) and tentatively knocked on the door, knuckles rapping lightly against the heavy oak.

The brunette heard a faint rusting inside before the door was yanked open violently, revealing a rather excited looking Hanji.

"Oh Eren! You're back! Any news from the front lines? Where's Levi?" Hanji asked enthusiastically, peeking around Eren curiously and scouting the area for the older male. The brunette looked at Levi for direction, but all he got in response was a shake of the head and a glare. From where he was standing he wasn't visible to the redheaded woman, and so Eren decided to play it off like he was alone.

"Ah, he was really tired so he went straight to bed," Eren tried to keep a straight face while telling the white lie, unable to keep himself from rubbing the back of his neck nervously out of habit. Hanji pouted a bit, visibly upset that she couldn't bombard the older male with questions about the kind of titans they had seen. She was beginning to regret volunteering to stay behind and guard Rook.

"That's too bad," Hanji perked up with a smile as she focused her attention back on Eren, "so what brings you all the way out here, Eren?" The redhead was inching nearer to the brunette until she was uncomfortably close, seemingly examining the specimen before her. Eren took a step backwards, not wanting to be rude but not wanting to be studied like some kind of lab rat.

"Uh, the Corporal wanted me to question the prisoner; he seems to think that I'll have a better chance of getting him to talk than anyone else."

Hanji clapped her hands excitedly at the statement, further confusing the brunette.

"Oh Rook's been talking about you nonstop since you left, Eren! I know he'll be happy to see you," Hanji exclaimed, practically dancing on the spot. The brunette raised an eyebrow in question, not entirely sure why Rook being happy would be a good thing. Then again, this was Hanji, and she saw the world differently than most people, making her both brilliant and eccentric. Eren decided that it would save him a lot of time and headaches to just play along.

"Ah…right. Is it alright if I talk to him then?"

Hanji's eyes lit up like fireworks at the question, and before he knew it he was being pulled inside by the arm, the door slamming behind him. The redhead dragged him in the direction of solitary confinement, and soon he was face to face with the one person he would have been happy never to speak to again for the rest of his life.

Rook was currently lying on his side facing the doorway, chains extended to their maximum length to allow him to relax a bit. Upon seeing Eren, he immediately rose to sit up, golden eyes full of excitement despite his haggard appearance. His imprisonment had taken a toll on him in the short few days he'd been confined; both eyes had dark circles beneath them from lack of sleep, his crimson locks were bedraggled and greasy and whereas he was lean and lithe before, now ribs were beginning to show beneath taut pale skin. His wrists were bloody and chafed from his shackles, and yet when the brunette approached him he did not hesitate to break out into his characteristic Cheshire grin.

Eren slowly approached him, Hanji following close behind and pulling up a rickety wooden chair, gesturing for the brunette to have a seat, which he hesitantly took.

"Look who came to visit you, Rook! Aren't you happy to see that he's back in one piece, hmm?" Hanji asked in a sing song voice, grabbing Eren by the shoulders and squeezing to emphasize her point that the brunette was indeed alive and there in the flesh. Rook's unsettling gaze fell upon him and Eren squirmed a little in his seat, wishing that he was just about anywhere else at the moment.

"Indeed, this one is overjoyed that Eren Jaeger has returned alive and well. Tell this one, were our predictions correct? Were there titans beyond the forest?" Rook inquired, getting straight to the point. Eren swallowed hard and nodded, and Rook's grin grew even wider, as if he had just received the best news of his life. Hanji had made herself at home on another chair next to Eren, remaining uncharacteristically silent with her head in her hands as she listened intently, waiting for news of anything pertaining to titans.

"This one is delighted that he could be of use to you, Eren Jaeger. As promised, this one will agree to answer any questions he can, provided it is nothing too self-incriminating." The redhead stretched his aching arms as best he could while chained, awaiting the inevitable questions from the brunette. Eren honestly didn't know where to start, there were so many mysteries and holes in the story so far that it was impossible to ask everything that moment. He knew what Levi wanted him to ask, but he felt that if he started small the redhead would eventually come to trust him and therefore open up to him.

He supposed he should just start with the basics.

"Just who the hell are you?" Eren figured it was good a place as any to begin, especially since it had been bugging him since the moment they'd taken him prisoner. He not only acted, but looked quite different from the rest of the general population. Rook's smile faded slightly, and for the first time since Eren had laid eyes on him, he swore he caught a glimpse of sadness behind those eyes of molten gold.

"This one was expecting you to ask that. The truth is, not even this one knows for sure who we are. This one deeply apologizes, but he can only offer speculation instead of definitive answers," Rook explained calmly, appearing saner than he ever had up until that point.

"That's alright Rook, just tell us what you can," Hanji reassured him, her voice soft and encouraging as if she were speaking to a hesitant child. Rook nodded and exhaled through his nose before looking straight into Eren's eyes and recalling what he could of his past.

"It all started when this one was very young. There are many things we cannot remember, such as the day we were born or our original name, but we do know that our parents were killed by titans during the attack on Shingashina. This one was lucky enough to survive because we had been tending to the garden when it happened. We grew food for the locals to purchase to earn a living. We were poor, but we were happy. This one's mother was a seamstress, beautiful with nimble fingers that could create clothing more gorgeous than even those within Wall Sina, had she the materials to do so. This one remembers that she was kind and gentle, with a soft voice and hair the color of straw. She would often sing while she worked."

As Rook reminisced, Eren couldn't help but become a bit perturbed. Although he was a little surprised to find out that they shared a similar background, he hadn't asked for a life story. Many people had lost family and loved ones during the attacks. Hanji, on the other hand, was listening as intently as a child during a bedtime story, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, eyes sparkling with curiousity.

"What about your father? Do you remember him at all?" Hanji asked, eagerness apparent in her voice. Rook's face contorted into a look of uncertainty at the question, brows furrowed and lips curved into a frown. He looked deep in thought, and Eren wondered if there was some kind of bad history there. He couldn't claim to have a perfect relationship with his own father, in fact he had no idea where the hell he was or if the man was even still alive.

"Not much. This one only knows that he looks just like him, or so we have been told. The only detail that we can recall is that his job required him to be gone all evening and that he would sleep during the day. Mother often got lonely because Father was either sleeping or working. Her bright smile would fade when this one asked about him, and so this one decided that he was not important," Rook said with a grimace as he fisted the sheets beneath him. Clearly it was a touchy subject.

"When the titans came Mother was in the market square, buying materials to sew a dress for some wealthy aristocrat. Father was absent that day, and this one was tending to the gardens to harvest the vegetables. This one will never forget the moment when he saw the Colossal Titan peek over the walls, looking down upon humanity as if we were naught but sheep before a lion. After his appearance, this one's memories become hazy, as if he is in a fog. We are unsure of the exact order of events, but this one does remember the aftermath of the attack. We remember the rubble of the buildings that had stood untouched for so long, including our own house. We remember the bodies strewn across the remains of the city, bloodied and broken, many missing limbs or simply torn asunder. This one distinctly recalls the looks upon their faces, the sheer terror they experienced in their final moments…"

Eren hadn't realized that he had been gripping the sides of his chair so tightly that his knuckles were turning white until Hanji gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. He'd been lost in his thoughts, Rook's words conjuring up unpleasant memories of his mother's final seconds on the earth, terrified and helpless as her broken body was devoured by the grinning titan. Rook gazed at him knowingly, expression softening as he noticed just how effected Eren was by his words. He was much more perceptive than the brunette had first assumed.

"Ah, this one apologizes. We had forgotten that Eren Jaeger has suffered just as we have suffered. This one recalls your mother's face well; our mother would often visit with her in the market square. She spoke of you often, but this one never saw your face."

Eren shifted uncomfortably in his seat, frowning. "Yeah…I never liked going with her to that place. It was full of ignorant adults who refused to see the truth," the brunette recalled bitterly, his brows furrowed as his thoughts drifted back to how unfair it was that those who knew nothing and refused to listen to the truth were the ones who were most often in charge.

Rook nodded in agreement. "Yes, we know now how foolish those adults were. However, no matter how much we try to stop them, there will always be those who are blind to the truth."

Eren wasn't entirely sure that the truth he spoke of and the one Rook referenced were one in the same.

"Ah, but this one apologizes for getting lost in memories. Anyway, after the attack this one's mind draws a blank until a few days later, when we were starved and lonely, wandering along the ruined city streets in search of another living soul, or simply something to eat. Just when all hope was lost, _she_ found us. She, in her kindness and selflessness, took us in and gave us shelter, food and perhaps most importantly, knowledge."

There was a spark behind those golden eyes, yet Eren couldn't quite place what it was. As forlorn as Rook had appeared when recalling his tragic past, now he looked almost elated as he spoke of the person who saved him. Hanji scooted her chair even closer this time, turning it around backwards and resting her arms on the back.

"And who is this mysterious savior, hmm?" she asked, eyes alight with curiosity as usual. Rook smiled, although this time it was a fond smile, the kind you'd find on a doting parent speaking of their child.

"She is Our Lady; that is what we call her, what we all call her. She took mercy upon the children displaced by the attacks, those who were too poor or too unlucky to have escaped on the ships to Wall Maria. She took us in, provided us with everything we needed, and most importantly, she gave us hope. We finally had a place to call home, and all she asked for in exchange was our undying loyalty. This one gladly offered up his life to her, to do with as she sees fit."

Eren, who had been listening quietly up until that moment, interrupted the redhead with a snort, crossing his arms and looking at Rook with fury burning in his emerald eyes.

"Oh yeah? And is this wonderful Lady of yours the one who convinced you to become a murderer?" he snarled, digging his nails into his arm to distract himself from the urge to strangle the man in front of him. He felt a bit sorry for him, knowing that he was one of the many children left behind due to lack of space on the ships, however he couldn't bring himself to sympathize too much when he spoke such nonsense all the time. Rook looked unaffected by the outburst, lips curving into a devilish grin and a glint of something dangerous behind his golden eyes.

"She did indeed teach this one to take a life, but not for money or revenge. Greed and wrath are deadly sins, Eren Jaeger, and we do not kill indiscriminately. When our blade pierces the flesh of our prey it is always with purpose, for the good of humanity. Many of my brothers and sisters have fallen prey to the temptations of coin offered for their service, and have since fallen from grace. We assure you, however, that this one will remain loyal to Our Lady and her ideals as long as we draw breath," Rook practically shook with elation as he spoke fervently of his mentor, eyes wide with wonder.

Eren could stand it no longer, and he abruptly rose from his chair, rage coursing through his veins and unfurling within the very depths of his soul.

"Bullshit, all of it is bullshit! You're trying to tell me killing Armin would somehow benefit humanity? You're a fucking twisted, insane piece of trash and I don't want to hear any more of your bullshit!" the brunette was shouting now, and despite Hanji's attempts to stop him, he pushed her aside and grabbed rook by the throat, squeezing just enough to make a point but not to choke him.

"Listen, I don't care about your sob story, or what you think is the truth or whatever, you are going to pay for what you've done, whether I have to kill you myself or let the Legion do it, I don't care, but I won't let you hurt anyone ever again," he spat the words that practically dripped with venom, enraged by the fact that no matter how hard he squeezed, even when his very life was being threatened, Rook continued to smile.

Although Hanji knew that she would need to intervene soon, she also knew that she had been ordered to get information out of Rook with any means necessary. Perhaps this encounter would prove fruitful after all.

"This one knows for certain now, yes," he spoke, voice hoarse and straining around Eren's vice like grip, completely changing the subject at hand, "we couldn't be sure before, but we see it now. You have the same eyes as us, the eyes of a killer!"

Eren faltered, grip loosening as the words spilled from Rook's mouth. He knew he shouldn't be listening to anything this psychopath had to say, but he couldn't deny the curiosity that was welling inside of him at the other's statement. Not willing to reveal any childhood secrets, the brunette decided to play ignorant.

"Of course I've killed before, I've taken down dozens of titans. What the fuck is your point?"

Rook let out a breathless chuckle as he struggled to free himself from Eren's grip, arms tugging at his chains until the cuts on his wrists weeped crimson once more. "You are clever, Eren Jaeger, but you know exactly what we speak of; you have taken a human life. Tell us, when did you claim your first victim? For what reason? How did it feel to see the light leave their eyes as the life drained from their body because of your actions? Isn't it wonderful, that feeling you get when you see their blood spill upon the ground? It's such a gorgeous shade of red, don't you think? Ah yes, if only the entire world could be stained such a beautiful color."

Eren hadn't realized that he'd been trembling until Hanji forced him to release his grip around Rook's throat by prying his hands away (no easy feat for someone with titan strength to grip with). The redhead proceeded to cough and sputter as he rubbed the angry red marks left behind on his neck. He began backing up slowly, eyes wide with shock at the apparent revelation. Hanji attempted to comfort him, but he quickly pushed her away and made for the door, breaking into a run and throwing open the front door, ignoring the scientist calling out behind him to wait.

He didn't know where he was running to, just that he had to get away from that maniac, the one who seemed to have fucking psychic powers and somehow knew every little detail about his life, down to secrets that were never supposed to resurface.

_He doesn't know. He can't know. Dad told the others that he'd happened upon a murder scene…no one was supposed to know…_

He hadn't bothered to look back and see that he had left a very confused Levi behind. The older male had stayed outside the door just as he'd agreed, but despite his warnings about Eren not saying anything he didn't want everyone to hear, the truth was that he hadn't been able to hear a damn thing through the thick stone walls of the infirmary. When Hanji appeared in the doorway looking very concerned, Levi immediately began questioning her. Slightly surprised to see him, Hanji forced a smile and waved despite the circumstances.

"What the fuck? Why did the little shit just run past me like a bat out of hell? What happened?" Levi drilled her with questions, anger beginning to build within him as he struggled to make sense what had just transpired.

Hanji shook her head, frowning. "Rook started talking about things Eren didn't want to hear…" she trailed off, not wanting to violate Eren's trust and deciding that if the brunette wanted to tell Levi what had transpired within he would do so in his own time.

"Tch, figures. I guess I should have thought about it a little more before sending the shitty brat in there. I suppose I'll have to find him and…apologize," Levi made a face when he said the last word. Apologies always left a bad taste in his mouth because usually it wasn't entirely his fault when someone had a problem. As he began to unhitch Onyx and ride in the direction Eren had gone, Levi felt a gentle tug on his arm.

"I think you should let him have some time to think. I know I shouldn't say anything, but Eren's pretty upset, so I'll just be vague and leave out the details. Come on, I'll pour some tea and we can discuss it inside," Hanji tugged on his arm again, and as much as Levi wanted to kick her ass for touching him so casually, he heaved a sigh and relented, following her into the entrance of the infirmary.

* * *

By the time Eren made it back to the castle his lungs were on fire and his muscles were screaming from exertion. He leaned against the outer wall for support, taking a much needed rest to catch his breath. The exercise had taken the edge off of his anger, and now he just wished that someone, anyone would reassure him that he was not a murderer, although he knew that was impossible. Although he'd saved Mikasa's life from those less than dog shit thieves, the fact was that he had willingly taken human lives. He didn't regret it, however, not for a second, and he was sure he'd repeat his actions if he had to.

_I'm not like him, killing in the name of some religious ideal. I did what I had to do to save Mikasa. I'm no criminal._

Deep in thought, Eren jumped when he heard the front doors of the castle burst open, followed by what looked to be a very intoxicated Auruo stumbling outside. He proceeded to throw up violently, heaving up every last bit of that evening's meal along with whatever copious amounts of alcohol he'd ingested to reach such a state. Eren crinkled his nose in distaste, feeling his stomach churn at Auruo's loud retching. After a minute of dry heaves, Auruo finally finished being sick, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. The blonde finally registered that he wasn't alone and shot Eren a goofy grin, supporting himself on the door frame.

"Oh itsh you, Eren, what are you doing out here? Wheresh the Corporal? *hic*" his speech was slurred and he was seeing double of most everything, explaining why he was looking to Eren's left instead of directly at him. Eren could smell the booze from where he stood, and he could hear raucous laughter coming from inside the dining hall. Apparently the rest of the squad had taken Levi's suggestion to spend the night how they wanted very seriously.

"Ah…he's at the infirmary…with the prisoner," Eren added, noting the worried look on Auruo's face at the prospect of the Corporal being hospitalized. The blonde struggled to remain standing, and eventually slid down onto the ground, looking up at the brunette with a frown.

"Thatsh too bad. Say, why don't you have a drink with us, Eren? Theresh a fresh barrel of beer inside, better get to it before itsh gone."

Eren should have declined; after all he didn't much care for the taste of alcohol. Then again, the soldiers in the garrison often complained about how their beer tasted like piss water, but that didn't stop them from downing gallons of the stuff every evening. Eren supposed that was due with the ability of alcohol to drown a person's sorrows, letting them experience a false euphoria and allowing them to forget their troubles if only for a night. Whether it was out of boredom or stress, most of the members of the garrison and military police were more often than not drunk off their asses. Eren supposed everyone had their own way of coping, and although he frowned upon people who used drugs and alcohol to escape their troubles instead of actually facing them, right now he sympathized with them completely.

Perhaps that was why instead of politely declining the offer, Eren entered the dining hall and scoped out the place, not entirely surprised to find the rest of the squad, along with a few others, gathered around the long tables, mugs full of the frothy amber liquid, all in various states of mirth. Even the normally quiet, reserved Petra had decided to join in, and currently she was trying to refill her mug from the barrel spout, failing to align it directly underneath the stream of booze due to her loss of basic motor skills and spilling most of it onto the floor. Eren took pity on the girl and grabbed the mug, directing her hand underneath the flow and holding it still for her and watching foam rise on the surface.

Petra gasped as she watched the mug seem to magically fill itself, amazed until she noticed that Eren was standing next to her. The brunette sighed when he saw that his friend was just as intoxicated as the rest of the squad.

"Eren! I wondered where you were! Have some beer! There's plenty!" she exclaimed, swinging her mug around and sloshing the amber liquid onto the front of Eren's shirt on accident. Eren just sighed again and looked down at the stain, hoping that maybe Levi had a magical way to get beer stains out of white clothes. A sudden pang of guilt hit him upon thinking of the raven haired Corporal.

_Levi…I kind of just left him there…hope he isn't too mad._

"Thanks Petra, I'll be sure to drink some," Eren said with a forced smile, grabbing a clean mug of his own and filling it to the top. Petra wobbled off into the crowd, leaving Eren alone once again as took a whiff of the alcoholic beverage. It didn't smell too bad, mostly like hops, which Eren recognized from watching his father and a few of his friends brew their own batch of beer once. He slowly brought the edge of the mug to his lips, careful not to spill any, and closed his eyes before taking a tiny sip.

He immediately grimaced, forcing himself to swallow the odd liquid. It was bitter and earthy with bubbles that tickled the fine hairs around his lips. He was undecided as to whether it was worth it to just down the entire thing to speed up the process of getting drunk, or to just leave now and go to bed and get some well-deserved rest. Although he knew he was sure to pay for it in the morning much as Armin had, Eren couldn't resist the temptation to forget all about the sexual tension between him and Levi, all of his unresolved feelings, all of his painful memories stirred up by Rook's story, the torment of feeling like a murder and a monster on a daily basis.

It was much too tempting to resist, and Eren decided that he would take the pain of a hangover if it meant that he could be worry free for just one fleeting moment.

_Well, here goes nothing._

Clenching his eyes shut tight, Eren tipped the mug of beer up and chugged the entire amount down in one go before slamming the mug down on a table and wiping the foam off of his mouth with the back of his hand. He felt a sudden surge of warmth spread throughout his body as the alcohol went down and he suppressed a hiccup from drinking too fast.

He hadn't expected a round of applause and cheers after he'd finished, however, and when he looked around he noticed that all eyes were on him.

"Way to go Eren, I didn't think ya had it in ya!" Gunter exclaimed, raising his own mug in respect. Erd, who looked to be in a much more advanced stage of drunkenness, simply nodded and grinned. Auruo had managed to make it a few feet inside the door before collapsing and falling asleep where he lay, and Petra, whose cheeks were rosy and eyes were bleary, was currently clapping her hands and cheering as if Eren had accomplished some praise worthy feat.

"Do it again, it'll be great! Ya gotta get hammered like the rest of us!" Mike enthusiastically slurred from a table in the corner, far too inebriated to rise from his spot on the bench without ending up like Auruo, passed out on the floor. With so many people in favor of him getting wasted, Eren relented and marched back up to the keg to refill his mug, an unsure smile gracing his lips.

* * *

"I think the brat has had enough alone time. I don't care if his feelings are hurt or whatever; I'm going after him before he does something stupid," Levi stated firmly as he strode out the front door of the infirmary, more than a little miffed that Hanji had not divulged the details of why Eren had run off, telling him only that Rook had said some things that didn't sit well with the brunette.

_Yeah, that really fucking narrows it down. What, did the freak insult the brat's hairdo or something?_

Levi inwardly grumbled to himself as he untied Onyx, who was pawing at the ground, eager to ride. Phoenix, who had been seemingly forgotten by her master, looked at them and nicked pitifully, pulling against her lead rope in an attempt to free herself. Levi patted her neck in an attempt to soothe her, making a mental note to berate Eren later for leaving her tied there.

"It's all right girl, I'll take you back to the stables and then find your irresponsible owner," Levi spoke in a low voice, stroking Phoenix's silky chestnut mane and untying her from the hitching post. He'd been vaguely aware of Hanji watching him from the doorway and decided to put the scientist to good use.

"Hanji, since you have nothing better to do than stalk me, take Phoenix and Onyx back to the stables; I'll head towards the castle on foot," Levi ordered, leading the horses over to where the redhead stood and shoving the lead ropes into her hands. Hanji heaved a tired sigh, the dark circles under her eyes testament to the many sleepless nights attempting to make a breakthrough with Rook. Not that she didn't enjoy their late night conversations, it was just that none of them were in any way relevant to the investigation, mostly ending up in them playing a game of chess or discussing scientific theories.

"Alright, but are you sure it's a good idea for you to be alone with Eren right now?" the redhead asked hesitantly, concerned for Levi's safety but not wanting to end up running laps for questioning the Corporal. The raven haired male folded his arms and gave her an incredulous look, hesitant to waste any more time standing there chatting.

"And why the hell wouldn't it be? You think Eren is going to turn on me?" Levi asked bluntly, tapping his foot in impatience while waiting for an explanation. Hanji frowned, a rare sight from the bespectacled researcher, and nodded.

"It isn't that Eren wants to turn on you per se, but he is in a fragile state and his emotions are tumultuous at best. He's always been a little unstable, and I'm afraid he might lash out at you to unwittingly redirect some of his anger," Hanji calmly explained while pushing her glasses farther up the bridge of her nose, looking quite scientific. Levi snorted in response, unmoved by her speculations.

"Even if he did, I can handle it. If the brat feels like taking his anger out on the wrong person then I'll just beat him into submission like always. So I'm going to leave now, and you're going to take the horses to the stables, and you will not try to hinder me any further tonight, understood?"

"Alright, just be careful," Hanji gave in reluctantly, watching the Corporal turn and take his leave, waving her off like a worried mother hen. She couldn't help but smile at Levi, who despite being a rather stoic and hard to read person, was shit at hiding his concern for Eren Jaeger. It was completely obvious to just about anyone with eyes that the Corporal acted differently around the boy and treated him like something precious to be protected at all times. Try as he might to pass it off as doing his duty, Hanji could see the Corporal concerned for his soldiers act for what it really was; infatuation.

* * *

By the time Levi made it to the entrance of the castle it was near midnight, judging from the position of the moon in the sky. He'd taught himself not to rely on watches and compasses many years ago, and to read the stars and the world around him while he was out in the wilderness to gather information. Granted it only worked on cloudless nights, but it was a useful skill to learn nonetheless.

A sleepy guard leaned against the cool stone of the castle near the front entrance, suppressing a yawn and quickly moving to salute Levi as he approached. The Corporal nodded and signaled for him to be at ease, convinced by his sloppy salute that this guard couldn't protect the castle against a band of squirrels let alone an attacker.

"Did Eren Jaeger pass by here recently?" Levi asked, not really expecting a reliable answer but trying anyway. The guard looked thoughtful for a moment, as if it were a question that really required much more than a yes or no answer.

"Hmm, yes, I think I did see him enter earlier this evening, although I can't recall exactly when, apologies sir," the guard bowed slightly, genuinely sorry that he did not have a helpful answer. Levi simply nodded and decided to investigate for himself as he pushed open the heavy front doors to the dining hall. Immediately upon stepping foot into the dimly lit hall the strong smell of booze and stale vomit assaulted his senses, and he covered his mouth and nose with his arm to block the stench. As if the foul odor hadn't been enough to put him off, what he saw was even worse.

There, in the dim orange glow of several dying oil lamps, he spotted his entire squad, all in various states of drunkenness: Auruo was passed out in a puddle of his own drool a short ways from the door, and Levi had to step over him to proceed. Mike had somehow managed to climb on top of the beer keg and was currently fast asleep, his loud snoring reverberating inside of the nearly empty wooden barrel.

Levi wasn't entirely surprised; his squad was notorious for celebrating a bit too enthusiastically after a mission, and most of them would be hung over the next morning, despite being warned that they were expected to be awake and alert by 9 a.m. He couldn't say he approved, but he wasn't about to deny his soldiers a chance at relieving some stress when they were all uncertain how much longer they would continue on living. What he saw next, however, he certainly hadn't been expecting; Gunter, Erd and Petra were all laughing and sloshing the amber liquid in their mugs about as they gestured with their hands, never letting go of their mugs.

That wasn't the strange part, however.

Standing on top of the wooden table where the three were carrying on was Eren, who was currently gesturing wildly as he told them a story, dramatically reenacting every scene with gusto.

"And then, this BIG ASS TITAN" he spread his arms apart as wide as they would go to emphasize, "peered over the wall and we were all like WHAAT THE FUUUCCKK? And then he was like _I'm gonna be a dick and destroy this town_!" his voice grew steadily louder and gruff as he imitated what he thought a titan would sound like and pretending to kick down the walls, and each time he would mention how big the Colossal Titan was Petra would clap her hand over her mouth in awe and Gunter would urge him to continue talking.

Levi supposed he would have been amused if he wasn't so exhausted and utterly disgusted by his surroundings. Those two things combined put him in a rather unamused state, and he decided that his squad had certainly had their fun and now it was time to put an end to their little party.

"Yeah, it really sucked, but I'm gonna kill all the titans, just you wait! Commander Erwin will have to step down and make me the leader of the Scouting Legion pretty soon," the brunette boasted, hands on his hips as he posed heroically. Petra clapped her hands in approval, whistling.

"You're so cool, Eren! Almost as cool as Corporal Levi!" Petra exclaimed, eyes glazed over yet still sparkling with admiration. Eren smiled and wobbled a bit, trying not to fall off the table. His mirth was soon interrupted, however, when a strong hand roughly gripped his arm and pulled him down off of the table to land square on his ass on the cold stone floor. Confused, the brunette rubbed his backside and looked around for who had so rudely interrupted him, heading swimming when he moved it too fast.

After a moment he was able to finally focus on a pair of legs that stood before him, clad in military grade boots and pants. He followed them upwards with his glazed over eyes to see who they belonged to, squinting in the light of the oil lamp. There, looking down at him with contempt, was Levi, but since Eren was beyond pleasantly drunk he did not register the fact that the Corporal looked like he was about to strangle him and waved in greeting.

"Corporal, there you are! Did you come to have a drink? There's still some beer left!" the brunette grinned stupidly and pointed in the general direction of the keg. Levi narrowed his eyes and bent down to grab Eren's arm once again, this time yanking him upwards into a standing position (although standing was a rather generous term, it was more like swaying ). The brunette was slow to feel the pain of the sudden jerking motion, and when Levi released his arm he nearly fell over.

"You idiot, I tell you to do one simple thing, one task, and you abandon it to go get drunk off your ass? How dense can you be?" Levi snapped, and when the other three members of his squad began to stare at the scene he shot them a pissed off look, effectively intimidating them into minding their own business. Although Eren had been feeling uncharacteristically cheerful due to the booze the insult did not escape him and he frowned and furrowed his brows.

"I didn't come here to get drunk it just kind of…happened," Eren tried in vain to explain, although judging by the look on Levi's face the older male was having none of it.

"Save it. You are to head back to your quarters immediately and stay there until I say you can leave," Levi snarled, and somehow he found it easier to be stern with a drunk Eren than with a sober one, partially due to the fact that the brunette was unlikely to remember much of their conversation the next day. Eren was about to protest but was quickly silenced with a searing glare from Levi and he clamped his mouth shut instead, turning and staggering off in a random direction in an effort to follow the Corporal's orders.

Levi heaved an exasperated sigh.

"Where the hell are you going, Eren?" he asked, watching the brunette struggle to stay upright.

"To my quarters, like you said, sir" he slurred, and Levi pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration at the brunette's apparent inability to navigate while drunk.

"That's the way to the kitchen, idiot," Levi informed him, not moving to help the brunette out of principal.

Eren scrunched his face in consternation, cursing under his breath and turning around to head in the opposite direction, which unsurprisingly was also incorrect.

"That's the way to the courtyard, dumbass."

Eren stomped his foot in frustration and moved in yet another direction, and Levi rolled his eyes when the brunette ended up right back where he'd started a few feet away from the older male.

"You're completely fucking hopeless, brat. Since you are too drunk to find your way out of a wet paper bag I'll take you back," Levi stated firmly, grabbing Eren by the wrist and leading him in the right direction hurriedly. He couldn't be sure that he wouldn't kill the brat should he vomit on him. The brunette allowed himself to be pulled along, and they made it to the stairs leading down to the basement unhindered before Eren finally fell to his knees, unable to stand on his own now that the alcohol was taking its full effect. Levi willed himself to calm down instead of kicking the brat down the stairs and after a few times of exhaling and inhaling through his nose he felt his blood pressure lower and his temper subside. He closed his eyes and willed himself not to sound too pissed off.

"Eren, can you make it down the stairs?"

The brunette looked down the seemingly endless flight of stairs before him and frowned, wishing that the world would stop spinning long enough for him to stand on his own.

"I…I don't think so," he admitted, fearful of the repercussions but deciding to remain honest nonetheless. Levi couldn't say that he was surprised, and although he had every mind to leave the brunette sitting there until morning, he decided to help Eren get to his room, if only to prevent others from tripping over his unconscious body later that morning. He sighed and knelt down beside the brunette, ignoring Eren's questioning gaze as he threw one of the boy's arms over his shoulder and used his other arm to steady the inebriated youth by supporting his back.

Without a word he rose, pulling Eren up with him into a standing position and allowing the teen to steady himself while leaning on his shoulder. When he felt like Eren was as steady as he would be while drunk, Levi began to descend the stairs one by one, moving slowly so that the brunette wouldn't trip over his own feet. Neither of them spoke as they continued down, and Levi was thankful that Eren kept his mouth shut, because he could practically smell the beer on his breath already without his mouth even being open. After what seemed like an eternity of taking one step at a time they finally reached the bottom, and Levi had never been happier to be in a basement in his entire life. Although it was pitch black, the older male could faintly make out the silhouette of Eren's bed awaiting them just a few feet beyond.

Levi's shoulder was screaming in pain from having to support someone both taller and heavier than himself, and the teen was practically dead weight. Despite his discomfort he continued on until they arrived at the foot of the full size bed. Levi released his grip on Eren and removed the brunette's arm from his shoulder, depositing the youth on his bed before stepping back and rubbing his sore muscles. The brunette seemed to recognize the feel of his soft down mattress, and bounced up and down on it a few times and laughing before falling back and gazing up at the familiar ceiling. As he felt his eyelids grow heavy with drowsiness he was rudely jolted back to waking when Levi lightly kicked him in the shins.

"You need to lay on your side or you might drown in your own vomit and that would be disgusting," Levi instructed, hands on his hips at the foot of the bed and staring down at the brunette. Eren was far too tired to question the order and he moved to lay on his side as instructed, world still hazy from the alcohol. The older male walked over to the nightstand and lit a half full oil lamp which flooded the room with a pale orange glow. The brunette winced at the sudden brightness but remained rather cheerful despite the circumstances.

"This is my first time being drunk, you know. Everything seems so…far away," Eren mused, looking at his own hand as if it were a foreign object. Levi folded his arms and sighed at the pathetic state the supposed savior of humanity was in.

"That's how you're supposed to feel. Now shut up and go to sleep. I'll come check on you in a few hours to make sure you're not dead since everyone else is in no better shape than you," Levi added irritably, turning to head back up the stairs. Eren sat up on his elbows when he realized Levi was departing and frowned in disappointment.

"Don't go…I hate being alone…" it was soft but audible, and Levi stopped in his tracks at the request, looking back at Eren, who was looking rather pitiful, eyes wide and full sadness like a lost puppy. Levi rolled his eyes and sighed. He should just ignore the brat, after all it was his own fault that he ended up in such a state, so why should he have to babysit him?

Yet despite his inner protests Levi found himself returning to Eren's side, pulling up a rickety wooden chair and plopping down onto it before crossing his legs and leaning back.

"I'll stay here for a while if it'll get you to shut up. But if you even think of trying anything stupid I'll leave without a second thought."

Eren relaxed once he realized that he would not be left alone and laid back down on his side facing Levi, a puzzled expression on his face. He studied the bite marks on his hand and frowned, unsure whether Levi was talking about his titan powers or something else.

"What exactly do you think I'm going to try? I don't think I could turn into a titan right now even if I wanted to."

Levi looked at him, mouth a thin line and eyes shining in the dim light of the room.

"Well, you have a bad habit of losing your temper, and you've become rather skilled at disappearing lately. There's also the fact that you tried seducing me last time we were alone for an extended period of time. I'm going to let you know right now that I will not touch someone whose not fully aware of their actions. Who knows what kind of shit you might try to pull when you're this wasted."

Eren frowned and focused his sea green eyes on Levi, whose pale skin was practically luminescent in the glow of the lamp. His cheeks were already rosy from the warmth of the alcohol, and Levi's comment about their last meeting only fueled the flames.

"I'm not going to try anything, I promise, I just wanted someone to talk to" he said sadly, sounding rather hurt at Levi's accusations. The older male folded his arms and studied the brunette, finally convinced that Eren was certainly in no state to pose a threat and visibly relaxing, although he remained on guard just in case. An awkward silence settled between them for a few moments, and Levi fidgeted a bit in his seat, beginning to regret staying with the brat. He was no good at this sort of thing. Being social, that is. Especially with a drunk person.

It was Eren who finally broke the ice.

"Hey Corporal, can I ask you something?" the brunette inquired timidly, eyes still focused on Levi as he struggled to stay on one train of thought. Levi raised a thin brow in question.

"What is it?" he asked, voice clipped as he uncrossed his legs when he felt one of them begin to fall asleep. Eren hesitated a moment before continuing.

"Am I…am I useful to you?"

Levi rolled his eyes at the seemingly random question. He hated talking to drunk people, because either they told him their life story and all of their problems, or they vomited on him. Both were annoying, although one was a bit less messy than the other.

"What the hell kind of question is that? If you're going to start being all philosophical and shit then just shut up," Levi replied bluntly, sounding a bit harsher than he'd intended. Eren didn't seem too perturbed, however, as he sat up and waited for the room to stop spinning before continuing.

"I just…I want to know if I'm worth all the trouble you guys are going through to protect me…I mean, without my titan powers I'm just an ordinary human being. I'm just average at 3D maneuvering and hand to hand combat, and I usually have to have Mikasa finish off my kills for me. Not to mention that I couldn't do a damn thing to help Armin when Rook put a knife to his throat. I just stood there, useless. I wonder everyday why everyone risks their lives to protect me when I give them nothing in return. I can't even control my titan yet, so what good am I really? I'm completely unpredictable."

Eren felt warm tears flow unbidden from the corner of his eyes; he wasn't sure when he'd started crying, but there was nothing he could do to stop them, not when his inhibitions were practically absent, allowing for his emotions to be raw and genuine instead of bottled up inside, festering until he could stand it no longer. Try as he might to stop them, the words continued to spill unhindered from his mouth, all of the feelings he'd been keeping locked up deep inside of his conscious finally surfacing.

"Rook was right all along, I am a monster…I killed them…I had no choice…they were going to hurt Mikasa…I stabbed one of them over and over again, I watched his blood pool across the floor, and it felt _good_! It felt good to see that bastard pay for what he'd done…they killed her parents in cold blood…they deserved it…they needed to die…"

"Eren…" Levi began, not exactly sure what to say but feeling the need to say something. He recalled hearing about the massacre involving two children and three wanted criminals in Shingashina long ago…however he'd never heard the details until now. He couldn't say he blamed the boy, in fact if it had been him in that situation there would have been far less of the criminals bodies left behind for the police to find.

"They said it was justified, that I shouldn't feel guilty, and you know what? I don't! I killed them, and if given the choice I'd do it again. Does that make me a monster?" Eren's breath hitched as he fought back a sob, and Levi decided that he rather liked the pissed off version of Eren better than the guilt ridden, self-loathing one.

"Stop with the self-deprecating bullshit, Eren. You did what you had to, and no one blames you for it. You're not fucking useless, and I already told you I would train you like the dog you are, remember? You'll learn to control your titan, and you'll do something idiotic that ends in you killing all the titans or what the fuck ever, and you'll be everyone's hero just like you always wanted. I don't know what that assassin said to set you off or why you even listen to the shit that comes spewing from his mouth, but just fucking drop it already and go to sleep," Levi snapped, not bothering to sugarcoat things when he was running on empty and becoming more frustrated by the minute.

Eren sniffed and wiped away the tears collecting on his cheeks, cursing himself for crying like a fucking baby in front of his commanding officer and swearing never to touch another drop of alcohol if it meant that he turned into some pitiful sniveling mess. Once he regained most of his composure he took a deep breath and looked back to Levi, feeling the last shred of his dignity fly out of the window as he felt steel grey eyes staring back at him.

"Why…why do you keep going out of your way to save me? You're always looking out for me and yet you get nothing in return, so why do it?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper as he continued to sniffle and curl into the soft down blankets of his bed, feeling a bit safer when he was wrapped up like a caterpillar in its cocoon. The honestly curious look in his bleary eyes that were now red and puffy from crying forced Levi to answer despite his better judgment.

"I wish I fucking knew," he said with a sigh, closing his eyes and leaving back into the uncomfortable wooden chair and fighting the urge to comfort the brunette. He was a Corporal, not a fucking shoulder to cry on, and he was not going to start giving advice now. Somehow the evasive answer was enough to satisfy Eren, and soon he felt his eyelids grow heavy once more as the warm, comfortable confines of his bed soothed him into a relaxed state.

"Thank you…" were the last words he managed to utter as he drifted off into an uneasy sleep. Levi stayed even after he began to snore lightly, watching his sleeping face with interest.

_This is the first time I've ever seen him look peaceful. _

Levi stayed, even after an hour had passed and the oil in the lamp began to run low. He could try to convince himself that he was simply keeping an eye on the brat to make sure he didn't aspirate his own vomit, although he knew that it was highly unlikely if it hadn't happened by now. Finally, almost two hours after Eren had fallen asleep without stirring, Levi's back screamed in pain from sitting in such an uncomfortable chair for an extended period of time, and he decided that it was time that he attempt to get some rest as well.

He stood slowly, wincing from his sore back and reluctantly stretched his tired muscles. Although he was rather young to be getting stiff joints, years of combat had battered and bruised his body so much that he was experiencing the pains of aging all too soon. When he was ready to try and conquer those damnable stairs once more he decided to check on Eren one last time. The brunette remained curled into the fetal position, looking rather helpless wrapped up in his blankets like a child. Although Levi knew that helpless was the last word he'd use to describe Eren Jaeger, he couldn't help but find the sight somewhat endearing.

_You're stronger than you think, Eren. You've been dealt a shitty hand in life that would have broken most ordinary people long ago. _

Levi thought back to the confession Eren had made at the beginning of the night as he watched the blankets move from the rising and falling of the brunette's chest.

_Don't go…I hate being alone…_

The words, despite having been spoken by a drunk person, were so incredibly full of feeling that they had to have been nothing but genuine. It was sometimes said that drunken words were sober thoughts, after all.

Hands moving of their own accord, Levi reached down to move a lock of brown hair out of Eren's face that had been tickling his nose and causing him to swipe at it unsuccessfully. It was soft, much softer that Levi had expected from someone who was so unkempt all the time. His fingertips lightly brushed Eren's cheek on their journey to push the strand of hair behind his ear, and Levi was thankful that they were warm and full of life, as he hoped they always would be.

"Shitty brat, you'll never be alone, I'll make sure of it," he spoke in a low, hushed tone, and although he was certain that Eren couldn't hear him it felt right to say the words that the brunette would most likely want to hear had he been awake. Had anyone bore witness to the Corporal's actions, they would have thought he'd gone insane, or that he was simply another person impersonating the man called Levi. Perhaps he had gone insane after all these years. He would have to be crazy to fall for such a defiant, headstrong, brash idiot right?

With one last lingering look Levi finally walked away from the sleeping brunette, switching off the oil lamp and making his way back towards the stairs to begin the long, arduous journey to his own comfortable bed.

* * *

Had Levi and his squad lingered for a few moments more on the ragged battlefield of the forest floor perhaps they would have noticed the human corpse amid the smoldering remains of the six armed titan they had defeated. The crimson cloaked assailant that had severed Levi's lines grappled down from the treetops, landing gracefully next to the steaming corpse. He knelt down beside the pile of bones that remained behind while the rest of the titan dissipated, letting out a disappointed sigh.

"Another abomination, huh? Oh well, your sacrifice was well worth it, my brother. With every life lost we grow closer to the answer that will bring salvation to all of humanity."

Collecting the remains in a rucksack, the cloaked figured heaved the bag of bones over his shoulder and grappled into the trees, disappearing into the darkness.


End file.
